I'm the Controller
by TRikiD
Summary: A deal is a deal, and Thomas' deal with a demonic ghost engine is no exception. And now that Thomas is stuck with this demon for all eternity, he has a hard time controlling his troublesome nature. But when he finally does take control, Thomas only loses control of himself.
1. Chapter 1 - As Long as I'm Alive

I'm the Controller

Chapter 1 - As Long as I'm Alive

Halloween Night. A night that did not go by unnoticed, as all of the children of Sodor would dress up and Trick or Treat that very evening. Those who were younger were usually in it for the candy, but the eldest minds were always interested either being scared or being the scarer.

Even the engines of Sodor would have a little fun with each other, whether it's telling scary stories about the Scrap Yard or sneaking up on them in the dark.

And the easiest engine to scare was the timid little green one that pulled the mail coaches: Percy. The bigger engines, like Gordon and James, never missed an opportunity to take advantage of Percy's paranoia, especially on Halloween.

And as Percy was once again pulling his mail coaches for the night, through a spooky forest to boot, the poor little engine expected a jumpscare from someone, anyone for that matter.

"C'mon, Percy…you've gone through this forest a thousand times…sh-shouldn't still be this scary," Percy meekly told himself, as he puffed forward slowly to watch out for any danger, "…r-right?"

"Oh, I don't know. Do _I_ sound scary?" Percy gasped and puffed steam when he heard an eerie voice amongst the darkness and the trees.

"Wh-who's there?! G-Gordon…J-James, is that you?!" Percy called out, his axles audibly trembling.

"Wrong and wrong again." The voice was closer now…almost as if it was…

 _Behind me?_ Percy pondered and quickly looked behind him.

"I'm like _no one_ you've ever seen." And sure enough, the creepy voice was right behind Percy, practically whispering into his ear. But when Percy looked again, there was a silvery mist…but it was in the shape of an engine. As he tried to gather the details of this engine, his eyes were suddenly glued to its own; glowing, demonic red orbs that stared directly into his soul.

Percy was frozen. Even his axles stopped shaking. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move, and he couldn't even puff steam.

"Get out," the silvery engine hissed, and he smiled large enough to reveal a mouth full of crooked fangs.

Percy didn't think twice, and screamed in terror as he puffed out of the forest faster than he had ever gone before. And as the said green engine disappeared, the silver engine chuckled darkly and suddenly dispersed into a cloud of mist that flew away like a phantom.

* * *

Percy never even delivered the mail like he was supposed, and instead headed straight for Tidmouth Sheds to hide. His crying and frantic whistling instantly woke all of his friends, as he puffed right into his shed with his coaches right behind him.

"Ugh, not _this_ again," James groaned groggily.

"Percy, what's wrong? What happened this time?" Thomas asked his best friend out of concern.

"I saw it! I saw it again! The ghost train!" Percy wailed and kept his eyes shut tight, fearing that if he opened them again, he would once again see those evil red eyes.

The others either groaned in annoyance or sighed in relief.

"Percy, there's no such things as ghosts, let alone an undead engine. You have nothing to fear," Thomas gently reassured.

"Yes, he does. If I don't get my beauty sleep, _I'll_ be something to fear!" Gordon threatened.

"You're not the only one! This has got to stop, Percy! We will not tolerate your insubordination anymore!" James snapped, "If you don't grow up and face your fears, you'll only continue to hurt yourself."

"B-But…but…" Percy tried to protest, as he blinked away his tears, "Thomas?"

"Mmm…" Thomas hummed in regret, "I'm sorry, Percy, but they're right. You need to stop being so scared all the time."

"But-!"

"But nothing! You can either go to sleep and deliver the mail before Sir Topham Hat arrives tomorrow morning, or you can get back out there and do it now," Gordon firmly instructed, "But whatever you choose, leave us in peace."

* * *

Even though Percy wasn't brave enough to go back out at night, he was lucky enough to leave and deliver the mail the next morning before Sir Topham found out. And after he assigned the engines their usual assignments, one engine would have to put his job on hold for a bit.

Thomas needed to take Annie and Clarabel to transport passengers on his branch line, like he always does, but he needed to do something rather important first. Before the blue engine went to fetch his coaches, he headed out into the same forest where Percy saw the ghost the night before.

Steam surrounded Thomas as he came to a halt, and he glanced around to make sure the coast was clear. And once he was certain he was all alone, he spoke, "We need to talk."

He didn't even need to shout, as he knew _He_ would be close; he's always close. And just as Thomas expected, the one he was looking for soon appeared out of thin air in a puff of silver mist. It was Timothy, the ghost train.

"Hey, Buddy," Timothy nonchalantly greeted.

"Don't 'hey, buddy' me! You terrorized my friend again, and right after I told you _not_ to!" Thomas snapped, his face scrunching in anger and annoyance.

"Aw, c'mon, I was just havin' a little harmless fun!"

"You nearly got Percy in trouble."

"So?"

" _So_ , you're jeopardizing _your_ end of the deal!"

"Oh, right, our little deal." Timothy chuckled and closed his eyes. "Tell me, Thomas, did Percy get hurt?"

"No."

"And did he actually get in trouble with your fat controller?"

"No, and don't call Sir Topham Hat that!"

"Fine, fine. But you're missing the point. Like I said, harmless fun."

"That may be true, but I won't help you anymore if you keep this up." Despite Thomas' best efforts to threaten him, Timothy was completely unphased, just like always.

"Try as you might, Thomas, but your lectures are never gonna work on me," Timothy protested with a grin.

"And just why not? Why are you so confident that you'll always win?" Thomas questioned with a sneer.

"Because, Thomas—I am still a part of _you_." Just as Timothy finished his sentence, he turned into a cloud of silver mist and phased into Thomas. Thomas closed his eyes and his axles shuddered, as he felt the cold and unnatural presence of Timothy slip into him again.

And though there were no obvious changes in the blue engine's appearance, his eyes were momentarily red, just like Timothy's, as he opened them. Thomas then glanced down at a small puddle near the edge of the track. But when he looked at his reflection, he didn't see himself. He saw Timothy.

"You agreed to be my host, remember? And it's because of you that I'm still alive—so to speak." Timothy's stretched and fang-filled smile returned. "And as long as I'm alive, so are you."

* * *

 **Ooo, creepy0.0**

 **If you couldn't already tell, this is a creepypasta, so I hope you're prepared for the creepiness ahead of you. And speaking of which, what do you think's the story behind Thomas and Timothy's deal?**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	2. Chapter 2 - I'm Not a Monster

**Warning: gore content ahead.**

* * *

Chapter 2 - I'm Not a Monster

While pulling his full coaches down his branch line, Thomas finally felt relaxed and relieved from Timothy's pull on his soul. And he felt especially comfortable due to the serenity of a beautiful flower field he was passing by, and he had the time to bask upon the field's peacefulness some more when he came across a red signal.

But the harmony of the land was suddenly interrupted when a gut-wrenching screech pierced the air. Thomas instantly recognized the grinding as Winston when his little horn came from around the corner, in which he soon appeared around and clumsily approached Thomas with Sir Topham Hatt inside.

And as Thomas expected, Sir Topham Hatt finally managed to make the wobbly railway car stop next to him. _Wonder what he needs this time_ , Thomas pondered as he put on a polite smile for his boss.

 _Why are you smiling for him?_

"What?" Thomas whispered in confusion, glancing around to find the owner of the separate voice but to no avail.

"What?" Sir Topham Hatt spoke loudly.

"Oh, no! S-Sorry, Sir, I just thought I heard something," Thomas sheepishly explained.

 _Don't play dumb. You know it's_ _ **me**_ _._ Thomas' eyes widened when he realized it was Timothy, inside his head, that is. Timothy was prone to telepathically whispering to him from time to time, and Thomas was sick of it. But he could do nothing to stop it, and had to fake it to make it.

"Anyway, I came to ask about your driver and fireman, Thomas. Their families have called, and they are worried sick, saying they haven't seen them in weeks," Sir Topham Hatt informed with worry.

"U-Uh…" was all the blue engine could say.

 _Don't you dare say a word,_ Timothy hissed.

 _Then what_ _ **do**_ _I say?_ Thomas argued.

 _You don't need to say anything, but if circumstances demand, then just lie._

 _Lie? Lie about the deaths of the innocent, you mean?_

 _And_ _ **yours**_ _._ Realization once again hit Thomas in the face, and he frantically looked at the track ahead of him and Sir Topham Hatt and back again. He could easily puff ahead to escape, but Sir Topham Hatt…

 _I think you know good and well what to do._ Timothy seemed to read Thomas' mind, which was no surprise. But Thomas figured he was right.

"Wait a minute…Sir, look!" Winston piped up as he slowly inched forward, and he saw the eerie sight of Thomas' empty cab.

"What the heavens?! Your cab, Thomas…it's…it's…" Sir Topham Hatt, too, was soon overwhelmed by shock to complete his sentence.

"Empty!" Winston finished for him, backing up in fear, "You're possessed, Thomas!"

"No, please! You don't need to fear me!" Thomas begged and slowly went after Winston and Sir Topham Hatt.

"What did he say?" Annie inquired, worry obvious in her tone.

"Did he say you're haunted?!" Clarabel exclaimed in shock.

To make matters worse, the ruckus from the twin coaches soon arose suspicion for their passengers, and they all piled to their windows to see for themselves if Thomas' cab really was empty. And when they saw the truth, it wasn't long before Annie and Clarabel were racked with cries of terror.

"STOP!" Thomas couldn't take it anymore, and gathered a small feat of strength to send out a bright red shockwave, his eyes once again flashing red as well. And as the shockwave struck everyone around the blue engine, they all froze and went completely blank, as if their memory was just wiped.

Thomas waited for a few moments for the affects to wear off, which didn't take too long when everyone started blinking and rubbing their eyes, the people shaking and holding their heads in pain.

"Oh, dear…what…happened?" Sir Topham Hatt was the first to speak, his voice groggy.

"Y-You…were just passing by when you wanted to say hello, Sir," Thomas lied with a fake smile, "A-And I-I was just taking Annie and Clarabel to Knapford to drop off the passengers."

"Oh…yes, I think I remember, now," Sir Topham Hatt slowly stated with a smile.

"Me, too!" Winston added with realization, and Thomas could then hear his coaches and passengers murmuring in agreement. His plan worked…luckily.

So, with a polite farewell, Sir Topham Hatt and Winston continued down the track, and the signal soon turned green and allowed Thomas to go on as well. The said blue engine sighed in relief, but regretted what he had just done to those people.

 _Well done. I'm impressed,_ Timothy chuckled in appeasement.

"Well, I'm not," Thomas whispered back, "They didn't do anything to deserve that."

 _Maybe, but it's not like you did any collateral damage. And besides, you and I both know what would've happened if they found out the truth._

Sorrow dragged on Thomas, as he knew Timothy was right once more…but he couldn't keep doing this…he _wouldn't_ keep doing this. What he was already doing with Timothy was very wrong, but Thomas didn't want to make it any worse than it already is.

* * *

The day was ending and Thomas was heading back to Tidmouth to get some well-earned rest, but he was puzzled when he heard the familiar horn of Mavis the diesel as he came up to a junction. He was just now passing the sign to the Diesel Works, so he wasn't surprised when he saw Mavis…but she was approaching rather fast.

And when she finally stopped, her face was faint red and she sounded breathless.

"Thomas…you need to come quick!" Mavis huffed.

"Why? What's wrong?" Thomas quickly responded.

"It's Diesel Ten! When Percy was asked to deliver some supplies to the Diesel Works for Den and Dart, he took him and he's now holding him captive!"

"What?! Why?!"

"I don't know, but he said he wanted to talk to you. That's why he sent me to find you. But you need to hurry, Thomas! Diesel Ten threatened to tear Percy apart with his claw if you don't show up before sundown!"

Thomas then looked over the horizon and realized he didn't have much time.

"Ok, go to Knapford and get Sir Topham Hatt, tell him to get to the Diesel Works as fast as he can!" Thomas firmly instructed, and the female diesel engine wasted no time in racing to the said station.

And when Mavis was out of sight, he raced off to find another junction to take him to the Diesel Works.

* * *

At the said infamous station, Diesel Ten was sitting at the edge of the second level, grinning as he watched and waited with a few of his Diesel cronies for a certain steam engine to appear.

"Diesel Ten, please, let me go!" Percy begged from behind the said diesel engine, which blocked the track to keep him trapped.

"Not yet, Little Steamie. Our guest hasn't arrived, and it would be rude to end the party without him—well, until sundown, that is," Diesel Ten chuckled darkly, earning a few laughs from the other diesels.

"W-What're you going to do if he doesn't show?" Percy whimpered.

"Oh, believe me, you _won't_ like it." To emphasize his point, Diesel Ten stretched his rusty claw towards the green engine and snapped, causing a few sparks to fly. Percy gulped in fear and inched backwards.

"Diesel Ten!" A voice suddenly rang throughout the Diesel Works. "I'm calling you out!"

The said diesel engine's grin stretched, and he rolled forward onto the lift to get down to the first floor. And once he was down, Diesel Ten was then level with none other than Thomas, who was just outside the building.

Even though it was dark, Diesel Ten could see the scowl upon Thomas' face, and he rolled forward to get a better look.

"Let my friend go," Thomas demanded.

"In due time," Diesel Ten calmly protested with a cocked brow, "Do you know why I called you here?"

"No, and I don't care! I came here to save Percy, so let him go already!"

"Oh my, such anger and determination. Where did that come from?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Oh, it matters _greatly_. You see, Thomas, I have eyes and ears everywhere—so to speak—and I've heard rumors about you." Thomas' cold expression turned soft for a split second, fearing Diesel Ten was onto him. "Rumors of a certain—power."

Thomas' eyes widened, and Diesel Ten quickly noticed, "Ah, so it _is_ true! Tell me, where did you find it?! Where can I get it?!"

"No!" Thomas snapped and puffed forward to get in the diesel's face, "Even if this power was real, and I'm not saying it is, I'd never let you have it! You would only use it to destroy others!"

Despite Thomas' aroused anger, Diesel Ten remained calm and merely smirked at him.

"You're smarter than I thought," Diesel Ten complimented, but then he frowned, "But that won't stop me from getting what I want. Diesel, Norman, bring him to me!"

Doing as they were told, the two said diesel engines forced Percy onto the lift and lowered it to get him down; they then rolled onto it themselves and followed Percy, pushing him onto a track next to Diesel Ten and awaiting their next commands.

"You should know, Steamie," Diesel Ten threatened in a hysterical whisper, his stretched smile returning, and he extending his claw out to Percy again, "One way or another, I always get what I want!"

Diesel Ten's claw then clamped down on Percy's boiler, erupting cries of pain from the said green engine. But he didn't stop and continued to dig into the thick metal, soon going deep enough to draw blood.

"NO!" Thomas pleaded at the top of his lungs, but he wasn't equipped with a weapon like Diesel Ten and couldn't do anything, except watch his best friend writhe in agony.

 _Let me take over. I can save him,_ Timothy angrily pointed out, enraged by the destruction of a fellow steam engine just as much as Thomas.

"No, you'll only make it worse," Thomas frantically protested, panic arising higher in him.

 _But I can stop it, just let me help!_

"I said no…"

 _Your friend will_ _ **die**_ _if you don't!_

Just then, their internal fight was cut off when they heard a large snap, and it didn't take them long to figure out it was from Diesel Ten suddenly ripping Percy's pipe right off, creating a gruesome fountain of blood and steam.

And when Percy's piercing screams were drowned out when he suddenly went unconscious, Thomas finally decided enough was enough. Without warning, his eyes lit up bright red, the whiteness turning pitch black, and his teeth growing into sharp fangs.

"Last warning, Diesel Ten: Let him go!" Thomas' voice was different, a horrible mix with Timothy's that sounded like a demonic and static growl.

"Yes, the monster has finally come out to play!" Diesel Ten cheered, his face and sides now stained with Percy's blood, and he still held the bloody pipe in his claw. But even though Diesel Ten was very amused, Diesel and Norman tried to back out of the obvious danger before them.

"I'm not a monster!"

"Don't deny the truth, Dear Thomas! If you could see yourself now, you wouldn't!"

"I don't care! _You're_ the monster here, and so you're going to pay!"

Diesel Ten didn't realize it until it was too late. He had pushed Thomas over the limit, and he had no idea what was coming. But Diesel Ten quickly found out when he felt a painful pull on his roof, and he realized his claw was being ripped off.

"Wha-?! What are you doing?! _How_ are you doing it?!" Diesel Ten panicked, finally dropping Percy's pipe when he lost all feeling in his claw.

Thomas stared firmly at the rustic limb to keep his hold on it, cables were quickly torn apart and blood gushed out as he continued to pull. Diesel Ten's eyes rolled back and his voice strained from the intense pain; he didn't even cry out when Thomas finally pulled his claw completely off.

Like Percy, Diesel Ten soon passed out from the huge loss of blood, but Thomas wasn't done with him yet. With his own claw, Thomas grabbed Diesel Ten's roof, digging deep to bend metal and draw blood, and he then lifted the diesel engine off the ground. Once Diesel Ten was far enough in the air, Thomas pulled the claw back and effortlessly tossed the diesel like a rag doll across the yard, and he crash landed into the Diesel Works.

Diesel and Norman were too scared to come out, fearing the wrath of demonically-evolved Thomas. But that was their undoing. For as Diesel's body skid across the concrete, thousands of sparks flew all around him and landed in some puddles of oil and gasoline.

And even though they were small puddles, it was enough to immediately ignite into huge flames. And the rest of the Diesel Works was full of flammable objects, which quickly fed the flames. Soon, the entire building was aflame, completely trapping the three diesel engines and bringing them to their fiery demise.

Thomas and Timothy watched from afar from Percy's motionless body, but Timothy was still in power as he watched with a blank expression. But then the sound of Belle's brass bell and Flynn's wailing horn pierced the air, alerting Thomas of the oncoming company.

He then remembered when he sent Mavis to get help, which mean Sodor's Search and Rescue Team is coming.

"We need to get out of here," Thomas told himself, and the ebony in his eyes and fangs quickly disappeared, but his pupils were still red. The blue engine quickly puffed forward, and faded into the fire just before the rescue team arrived.

And the sight before them was truly incomprehensible.

"Look!" Flynn called out, and the whole team finally noticed Percy.

"Belle, haul Percy back to the Steam Works! Flynn, stay here to fight these fires!" Sir Topham Hatt ordered, and the two immediately obeyed.

But as Belle pulled Percy away on a flatbed, Sir Topham Hatt worried. He worried what could have done this, and if it will come after the rest of his beloved engines, too.

* * *

 **They're sapient trains. I'm pretty sure they bleed.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	3. Chapter 3 - No Visiting Allowed

Chapter 3 - No Visiting Allowed

Thomas' boiler ached and churned, as he slowly awoke to darkness; he couldn't recall where he was or how he got there, but he knew he felt exhausted…which he also didn't know the reason for.

"Thomas the tank engine, get out here right now!" A voice pierced Thomas' ears, which were already painfully ringing. But when the ringing stopped, Thomas recognized the voice as Sir Topham Hatt, and the last thing he wanted was an angry fat controller.

So, Thomas slowly rolled forward towards the door in front of him, finally noticing that he was in Tidmouth Sheds, and he gently pushed it open to see what Sir Topham Hatt wanted.

But unlike what Thomas expected, Sir Topham Hatt wasn't the only one outside waiting for him, as the rest of the steam engines and an angry mob of Sodor's residents surrounded the building. The people and engines shouted in intense anger as the sky suddenly turned black as smoke, and the people threateningly waved pitch forks and torches around.

"W-What's going on?!" Thomas cried in fear.

"Thomas, you have been accused of murder and assault, and I cannot have an evil engine like _you_ on my railway!" Sir Topham Hatt boomed, as he stood in front of the mob on a large crate, symbolizing his leadership.

"N-No! That wasn't me, it was Timothy! And it wasn't my fault!" Thomas protested and tried to back away, but his axles suddenly locked up.

"It wasn't _your_ fault that you destroyed the Diesel Works, along with some of the Deisel engines?!" Gordon called angrily.

"I couldn't control myself, a-and I was only trying to save Percy!"

"Thomas," a familiar timid voice came from within the crowd, and everyone made a path for a certain little engine to pass through and get to the front. Astonished, Thomas smiled when he saw that his best friend was alive and well.

"Percy! Thank goodness you're ok!" Thomas cheered.

"No thanks to _you_ ," Percy hissed, "If it wasn't for you, Diesel Ten never would've hurt me."

"But what was I supposed to do? He would've killed you if I hadn't-!"

"You made your choice, and now you'll pay, Thomas!" Percy shrieked and cut Thomas off, once again leaving the blue engine terrified and confused. As Percy drew closer, so did the rest of the angry mob.

"No! I never wanted to hurt anyone! Timothy's controlling me!" Thomas protested, once again seemingly glued to the ground, "I-I couldn't stop him, not when I crashed and-!"

Thomas paused when he saw a familiar silver mist arising from behind the crowd, and a fierce red glow gave it all away.

"Oh, no…" Thomas whimpered.

The mist suddenly snaked through the crowd, but they never noticed it. And soon, the mist formed in front of Thomas in the shape of a grinning Timothy. But once again, no one noticed the demon engine before them.

"Sorry I'm late, but I'm here now ta help," Timothy growled in confidence, and he then turned into mist once more and seeped into Thomas.

"Don't! You can't keep controlling me! I'm not a monster like you!" Thomas cried out in pain, but Timothy continued to get into his mind.

"You can't control me! I live deep inside you!" Timothy roared just as Thomas' eyes turned red, "The only way to save yourself is to kill them all!"

Finally, Timothy corrupted Thomas' mind, as his eyes glowed and his mouth filled with dagger-like teeth; blood dripped from his paint, as well as the bold one on his sides. But then a large bloody zero appeared in front of the one, which both turned pitch black.

"Time to finish a genocide," the corrupted blue engine growled with an evil smile, and he roared as he was finally freed from his prison.

* * *

"NO!"

Thomas breathed rapidly, as he found himself inside of Tidmouth Sheds again…but something was different. It was still dark outside, but everything was silent.

"Thomas?" the caring and kind voice of Emily spoke up, and Thomas looked around to find her looking at him with great concern, as well as the rest of the steam engines asleep in the sheds…well, they _were_ asleep.

"What is your problem?" James snapped before yawning.

"First Percy and now _you_. How many crybaby engines do we need?" Gordon grumbled in annoyance.

"Shut it, you two!" Emily snapped before averting her attention back to Thomas, "We're just scared. Please, tell us what's wrong."

"It…it was…just a nightmare," Thomas replied breathlessly, but he suddenly gasped when an important matter came to mind, "Where's Percy?!"

"He's still at the Steam Works. Victor says he'll need a lot more time to rehabilitate."

"Yeah, didn't you hear about the mysterious murder at the Diesel Works yesterday?" The mere second 'murder' rolled off Henry's tongue, Thomas felt weak and lost the strength to concentrate, even beginning to descend into the darkness of his own mind.

Finally, Emily spoke again, "N-Nevermind that. Can you get back to sleep?"

"Maybe he shouldn't, or else _none_ of us will get any sleep!" Gordon threatened.

"Don't worry. I'll stay up with you," Emily reassured with a smile after sending yet another scowl at the ungrateful large engine.

"Thank you, but…you shouldn't have to lose sleep because of me. I'll go sleep somewhere else," Thomas softly protested, and puffed forward without another word.

But while Gordon and James muttered "Good Riddance" and went back to sleep, the others were very concerned for Thomas. Something about him, about anything, just hasn't felt right at all recently.

Meanwhile, Thomas chuffed all alone through the chilly night until he came upon a hidden shed down an old track near his branch line, slowly going inside backwards and scowled out into the darkness.

He needed to talk with Timothy again, and now; during the very rare and short times they could be apart, both of their lives would slip away. And since neither can survive without the other, Thomas was certain Timothy wasn't far.

"What a nightmare, Friend," Timothy chuckled darkly, and appeared in front of Thomas.

"A nightmare _you_ caused. This needs to stop!" Thomas snapped.

"Why? Just so that you can give up after all you've done to stay alive, be a useful engine—and protect your petty friends? What's that green one's name again? You know, the crybaby?"

"At least he's a better friend than you'll ever be. And if breaking our contract is the only way to protect him and all of Sodor from you, then so be it."

Timothy suddenly gave out a hearty laugh, "You really think it's _that_ easy to get rid of me? You can't kill something that's already dead."

"I can sure as hell try!"

"Good luck. Without me, you will disappear forever, and end up just like me: A wandering soul with no vessel. Don't forget, it wasn't _my_ fault you wouldn't slow down in that terrible storm—and when you took the lives of your driver and fireman."

"You know what, Timothy?" Thomas began, as if the said ghost engine hadn't said anything, "You and I need to visit someone very important tomorrow, and you especially deserve to see him since he wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you—all I ask is that you lay low."

* * *

Morning came, and a chilly gloomy setting fell over the island, not that a bight and sunny feeling would have fit for some; for example, Thomas, who brought a certain demon guest with him to see a special patient at the Steam Works.

As Thomas approached the Steam Works, he suddenly felt his engine run cold and his puffing slowed greatly in fear. How would Percy react to seeing him after-?

 _You're not seriously scared of that wimpy friend of yours, are you?_ Timothy questioned in disbelief.

Thomas scoffed and rolled his eyes, "No…I'm just afraid if he knows about what happened at the Diesel Works because of _us_."

"Hi, Thomas!" The said number one engine looked up in surprise when he heard that clumsy crane, Kevin, as he accidentally dropped a few spare parts, like usual.

"Kevin!"

"Sorry, Boss!"

"Victor?" Thomas called and rolled forward, "H-How's Percy?"

"Oh, you heard about the incident, too? It's truly terrifying, isn't it?" Victor asked in fear, Kevin's eyes widening in agreement.

"Yeah…a-anyway, can I see Percy? I'm really worried about him," Thomas sheepishly pointed out.

"You're a very good friend, Thomas," Victor began with a smile, but it soon faded into a look of guilt, "Unfortunately, Percy's condition is still very severe, and there will be no visiting allowed until further notice. I'm sorry."

"Oh…I see…"

"But I promise, you will be the first to know if anything happens," Victor reassured with a smile.

"Thanks, Victor…sorry for bothering you!"

With that, Thomas started backing out of the Steam Works, allowing Victor and Kevin to get back to work, and he glared down at the ground in frustration.

 _I can't believe you sometimes,_ Timothy piped up.

 _Not now,_ Thomas hissed back in his mind.

 _No, it's bullshit! You saved his life, so you can see him whenever you want! And besides, it's not like that old train could stop you if you'd just-._

 _Don't even think about finishing that sentence! I let you take over once, and it's the most regretful thing I've ever done!_

 _You saved your friend's life!_

 _I killed someone!_

Thomas' breaks screeched and Timothy went quiet, so both waited for a response.

 _You've been nothing but a curse ever since I let you help me, Timothy…and I can't take it anymore._

 _Then what can I do to prove myself to you, huh?_

There was another pause, until an idea eventually hit Thomas, _I don't care what Victor says, I need to see Percy. So, tonight, we'll sneak in and take a peek. I'll need your help, but_ _I_ _call the shots._

 _It's about time you started actin' like number one,_ Timothy chuckled in appeasement.

* * *

 **It's true, Thomas let Timothy take over once in a dire situation, so will he be able to keep him under control again?**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	4. Chapter 4 - A Step Closer

Chapter 4 - A Step Closer

Mavis was one of the very few engines who were called off of their own usual routines today, as she had to help with the investigation and rebuilding of her own home. Some small fires still decorated the Diesel Works, and the building was now nothing but a huge pile of ash rubble.

But authorities knew there may still be something or someone to be found within these ruins; though, most had doubted that _anything_ could have survived this tragedy.

Mavis was no exception, as she took in the horrid sight before her. She tried to figure why this would happen, and more importantly, who was the true cause of it.

"Mavis?" The said she-engine was pulled out of her thoughts by the stern yet gentle voice of Sir Topham Hatt.

"E-Excuse me, Sir…but what are you doing here?" Mavis questioned in confusion.

"The Diesel Works is a big and vital part of my railway. I _must_ be here to help with its reconstruction," Sir Topham Hatt informed, sighing in sorrow while looking back out at the burned ruins, "I'm very sorry this had to happen to your home, Mavis. I promise, I'll try to have it rebuilt as fast as possible."

"Thank you, Sir. I wish I could say it's the building I'm most worried about," Mavis paused and pondered, "But this is beyond that."

"What do you mean?"

"You remember what I told you, right? Diesel Ten was holding Percy captive, and he threatened him if he didn't see-."

Sir Topham Hatt was surprised when Mavis suddenly stopped, and even more so when he saw the shocked expression on her face.

"What is it?" Sir Topham Hatt urged.

Mavis finally snapped out of her daze, and slowly looked down at her boss, "The Diesels and Percy weren't the only ones here before the fire."

* * *

The vacant spot of Tidmouth Sheds that belonged to Percy was no longer filled with the innocent aura that followed, and instead loomed with fear and dread. And the one engine that had the unfortunate opportunity of basking in the emptiness was Henry, as he had once again mysteriously broken down and remained in his shed well into the afternoon to be worked on.

"Oh…there's just too many bad things happening," Henry moaned in fear.

All of the sudden, the sound of Mavis' diesel engine filled the air and startled Henry, and he was surprised to find Sir Topham Hatt exiting Mavis' cab when she stopped on the turntable.

"Thomas? Thomas?!" Sir Topham Hatt called out in determination, but there was never an answer; at least, not from whom he was looking for.

"Sir?" Henry piped up meekly.

"Have you seen Thomas? It's urgent," Mavis quickly informed.

"No, I'm sorry. He's been gone since last night."

"Last night?" Sir Topham Hatt repeated in confusion.

"Yes. He was really worried about Percy, and then he just left."

"Maybe he went to go see him?" Sir Topham Hatt looked up in realization at Mavis' suggestion.

"Then, we're off to the Steam Works."

* * *

Thomas waited until the sun was setting, which was when Victor usually started shutting down the Steam Works and prepare for bed; he only needed to wait a little longer until Victor and Kevin were asleep, and he could finally see his dear friend again.

Out of curiosity, Timothy exited Thomas' body, but remained right by his side on the other track to keep their distance very limited. The ghostly engine chuckled very softly when he saw Victor and Kevin slumbering completely unaware of the trespassing right before them.

"Ya know, you're just a step closer ta becomin' _real_ evil," Timothy stated matter-of-factly with a grin.

"Quiet," Thomas hissed and continued to puff forward slowly without another word, Timothy still following in great interest.

"So, where do you think he is?"

Thomas rolled his eyes in disappointment after Timothy deliberately disobeyed him, "There's only one section for gravely injured engines—and it's right here."

Just as the blue engine finished his sentence, he stopped when he came up to a cut off section of the building filled with vital medical supplies, among steam engine standards, that is; and in the center of this room was a small and unconscious engine, with chipped green paint around large teeth-like holes on his boiler, and a hole on his head where his smoke pipe should be.

Thomas blinked in surprise when he saw Percy and the remaining damage inflicted on him, somehow sensing his every breath and heartbeat and confirming he was alive. So, to get a better look at his dear friend, Thomas puffed forward a bit and suddenly felt his eyes burning.

"Aww, how cute. What, you gonna kiss him, too?" Timothy cooed mockingly when he saw a tear roll down Thomas' face.

"Please…go and stand guard…I need a few minutes alone," Thomas meekly instructed, and Timothy reluctantly left the room while rolling his eyes, leaving his host alone with Percy.

Thomas's throat burned as he tried to hold back a sob, and nearly failed a couple times while taking in his best friend's vulnerable form, "Percy—my dearest friend—even if you can't hear me right now, I want you to know that _you're_ the reason I go on. You've always been my reason ever since I first arrived here on Sodor. And I promise, I'll never let _anything_ hurt you again."

Meanwhile, Timothy waited outside of the private room in great boredom, as a few minutes had now passed and Thomas still hadn't come out; he even thought about messing around with Kevin and Victor just to satisfy his unsettled nature, but the last thing he needed was him or Thomas to get caught.

So, Timothy continued to sit and wait in silence, wishing his partner in crime would wrap things up quicker. But eventually, he swore he heard something stirring from outside, and slowly crept passed the two sleeping Steam Works employees. And soon enough, Timothy found the source of the commotion to be Mavis approaching the Steam Works, and it wasn't long before he saw Sir Topham Hatt in her cab.

"Oh, no," Timothy grunted in fear and quickly backed up into the private room, but accidentally bumped into Thomas, which was enough to push him into Percy with a loud bash.

"Ow! What the hell?!" Thomas snapped and tried to back away from his friend's body, and gasped when he noticed Percy start to awaken.

"Nice one, Klutz," Timothy growled.

"Me?! You crashed into me!"

"Because I came to warn you! Your fat controller's on his way."

"What?!"

"T…Thom…mas?" Both engines froze when they heard a hoarse voice, but they could tell that it was Percy, nonetheless.

"Percy?" Thomas asked with a smile, completely forgetting what Timothy had just told him.

"Thomas, are you in here?!" Both the said blue engine and Timothy's hearts raced when they heard Sir Topham Hatt's voice grow closer and closer.

"Now would be a good time ta leave!" Timothy snapped and phased into Thomas, preparing to use a larger amount of dark magic than usual.

Outside, Mavis had pulled inside and Sir Topham Hatt's shouting awoke Kevin and Victor, much to their surprise.

"What's goin' on, Boss?" Kevin yawned.

"I don't know," Victor quietly responded to his assistant, and then averted his attention to Sir Topham Hatt, "Forgive me for being blunt, but what brings you here at this hour, Sir?"

"I'm looking for Thomas," the railway controller quickly replied and jumped out of Mavis' cab.

"Thomas?" Victor inquired with a quirked brow.

"He was here this morning, but that was it," Kevin pointed out.

"Yes, he said he needed to see Percy."

"Did he?" Mavis urged.

"No. Percy is far too delicate to have any visitors right now, so I told him to leave."

"I'm glad you followed the rules, Victor, but I'm afraid that the situation is much bigger than this. Thomas and Percy were the only other ones present at the Diesel Works before the fire and murders, _and_ that are still alive. They are the only one's who can shed some light on this mystery."

All of the sudden, the Steam Works echoed with long and painful groans, making everyone's veins run cold.

"Thomas…?" the voice called out meekly.

"That sounds like Percy," Kevin stated matter-of-factly.

"But that's impossible! He's not supposed to be awake yet!" Victor informed with shock and quickly puffed into the separate room. The old engine gasped when he realized he was wrong, as Percy's eyes were half-lidded and more dead than alive.

Kevin raced in with Mavis not far behind, and Sir Topham Hatt sprinted in as well, "Percy, what happened?!"

"Careful! He will be very dizzy for quite a while," Victor firmly explained.

"No…Victor…" Percy protested softly, trying with all his might to hold his eyes open and speak, "Thomas…was…"

Everyone went still and silent, waiting and hoping for the small engine to finish, "…here."

As soon as Percy muttered that word, his eyes rolled back and he sighed as he lost consciousness again. And when the others realized what he said, they didn't know whether or not to believe him.

* * *

 **Honestly, I, myself, don't even know how much longer Thomas will last.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	5. Chapter 5 - Trouble at the Scrap Yard

Chapter 5 - Trouble at the Scrap Yard

Toby was puffing down his branch line early the next morning, completely oblivious to the events of yesterday—but not the horrific tragedy that took place at the Diesel Works. The square-shaped engine felt chills run through his body each time it came to mind, as Belle's descriptive and vivid explanation of the aftermath would haunt him.

He didn't know why he continued to let it linger…but he had the sneaking suspicion it was all out of curiosity; for quite some time, there was this mysterious and unsettling feeling looming over Sodor, and Toby just couldn't shake it. He wanted to know what it was, and what its intentions were.

Suddenly, too distracted by his thoughts, Toby bumped into something and screamed, finally realizing he had taken a wrong turn. When the dizziness faded away, Toby found that the object he ran into was a very familiar blue engine.

"Thomas?" The said number one engine let out steam and stuttered hysterically, as Toby puffed up to his side.

"I-I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting anyone to be out here!" Thomas quickly informed and tried to chuff forward, but a determined Toby chuffed slightly faster and stopped him.

"What are you doing here?" the tram engine inquired firmly.

"I…was sleeping." Thomas honestly didn't know what else to say, so he simply let the truth come out.

"Why?"

"It's the nightmares…they're getting worse." Toby finally recalled the night when Thomas woke up screaming the other night at Tidmouth Sheds, and that Gordon and James practically kicked him out. Even though it was one of the rare times he spent the night at Tidmouth Sheds since he had his own personal shed elsewhere, Toby was somewhat glad he was there.

"Then you need to talk to someone, and you can always talk to me." Thomas looked at the old tram engine in surprise while he smiled at him sincerely.

"I'm grateful for the offer—but I can't. You should know, some things are best kept secret."

"But I'm worried for you, Thomas, we _all_ are."

"Please, just leave me alone…"

"No, that's ill-advised."

"I'm warning you…"

"I'm taking you to the Steam Works to get looked at."

Thomas had had enough. Toby's eyes suddenly went in different directions while a red aura traced his irises, and Thomas' eyes glowed even brighter with the same blood red color.

"Go back, Toby, and forget everything you've just encountered here," Thomas firmly instructed in a monotonous voice, but it didn't have the demonically low growl that Timothy added before.

"Yes, Sir," Toby replied in a zombie-like way before slowly puffing backwards out of the hidden grove and back onto his branch line, speeding off to continue his day with no memory of his recent encounter.

"Wow! You didn't even need my help that time!" Timothy laughed in surprise while appearing next to Thomas, and then smiled maniacally, "How did it feel?"

"How did what feel?" Thomas questioned flatly, the redness in his eyes finally fading away.

"When the old tram called you 'Sir'. If you ask me, you'd be a _way_ better controller than the fat man."

"Stop calling him that!"

"I'm just stating the facts. And lemme ask you this—would you ever let what happened to Percy happen to your other friends?"

"No. Never. I would do everything within my power to protect them, to protect them all."

"Then prove it. You're number one, aren't you?" Thomas quirked a brow in curiosity, making Timothy's grin grow even more. But the blue engine's look of surprise soon turned into a scowl.

"That may be true, but I am not one to selfishly abuse my powers."

"Oh, but you've been gifted with so many. It's a shame, really."

Thomas scoffed as Timothy disappeared into him again when he started puffing out of the hidden siding, "It's going to take a lot more than that to break me, Timothy."

* * *

Thomas set out for Knapford Station in search of Sir Topham Hatt to see if he had any jobs for him, but the large man was nowhere in sight when he pulled in. All of a sudden, Mavis sounded her horn as she quickly oiled into the station, stopping right next to Thomas.

"Finally, I found you! Percy said he saw you in the Steam Works last night!" Mavis shouted.

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about. I was at Tidmouth Sheds all night," Thomas quickly denied, puffing out of the station into a siding to avoid the diesel, but she only followed him.

"No, you weren't. Before we went to the Steam Works, we went to Tidmouth Sheds, and you were nowhere to be found. So, stop lying."

 _Do what ya did to that old tram, make her forget!_

 _No! She's just curious._

 _And a threat._

 _And I've got it under control. Calm down._

"So, Mavis—where is Sir Topham Hatt now?" Thomas asked nonchalantly.

"He's at the Scrap yard."

"The Scrap Yard, huh? Interesting…"

 _The only reason he'd be there is if an engine was sentenced to death._

 _Yes, I know, Timothy._

"You can stop wasting time and energy, Mavis. I'll go see Sir Topham Hatt right now," Thomas calmly informed and puffed away, leaving behind a confused and suspicious Mavis.

* * *

The Scrap Yard was as unkempt and creepy as usual, as Sir Topham Hatt and a group of workmen started up the machines in the Smelting Room, the busiest and most dangerous area in the whole yard.

But, like any other visit to the Scrap Yard, Sir Topham Hatt was here for one reason alone: To say goodbye to two of his finest diesel engines, Diesel and Norman, who were too damaged by the fires to ever work properly again.

Regretfully, Sir Topham Hatt nodded at the man at the controls of the Hoisting Claw before glancing back at Norman, the first chosen to be smelted, and the man at the controls effortlessly started lowering the large claw down to the still diesel.

After the claw grabbed Norman tightly, it rose slowly and lifted him over to a large pot of molten liquid that glowed bright like lava. With one pull of another lever, Norman was lowered into the boiling liquid to begin the first step to scrapping.

Unbeknownst to the crew, Diesel began to stir just as the smelting process was finishing up, but he was far too weak to realize what was happening or draw attention; he merely tried to keep his eyes open, as the hot air and smoke burned his eyes.

Soon, Norman's lifeless body was pulled out of the molten liquid, droplets of it spilling from his now softened metal sides before it could harden. And his face was now gone, as it was burned off and left nothing but a gaping hole into the inner workings of the rest of him.

"I'm sorry, Norman. You were a very useful engine. May you rest in peace," Sir Topham Hat sorrowfully saluted.

But to ruin the gloomy moment, the familiar high-pitched whistle of Thomas himself echoed throughout the Scrap Yard until the said engine burst into the Smelting Room; the door were luckily left open.

"Thomas?! What are you doing here?!" Sir Topham Hatt scolded, as the claw continued to do its work and picked up Diesel.

"I came to find you. You've been looking for me, haven't you?" Thomas calmly asked.

"Yes, but now is not the best time!"

"Then when is it?!"

Just as the tank engine snapped back, Diesel finally found his voice and let out a long groan of pain, alerting everyone. But by the time they realized he was indeed alive, Diesel was already being lowered into the same scalding death sentence.

"He's alive!" a crewman shouted in surprise.

"Quick, stop the machine!" Sir Topham Hatt ordered.

"I can't! It needs a system override!" the claw handler argued in terror.

"You knew he was alive!" Thomas roared matter-of-factly while glaring daggers at Sir Topham Hatt.

"What?! How could you say that?!" Sir Topham Hatt exclaimed.

"You were probably going to scrap Percy, too." Thomas' breathing became raspy, as he looked down in utter shock and his eyes turned black and red once more.

Sir Topham Hatt gasped and stepped back in fear when his number one engine looked back up at him with such evil eyes.

"I won't allow this." With that, the main control panel exploded, sparks flying as everything shut down without a power source, including the claw. And just in time, for Diesel's wheels were barely dipped into the fire below.

 _Whoa! W-What are you doing?!_ Timothy shouted in fear, never expecting this side of his host to come to light so unexpectedly. After all, these powers were not Timothy's anymore—they were all Thomas'.

 _Stopping a monster,_ Thomas hissed, and then spoke aloud, "Whether or not you knew he was alive, you attempted to commit a most inhumane crime—and I'll make sure you _never_ do something like this again."

A red aura engulfed the claw and pulled hard until it snapped from its support on the ceiling, and Thomas made sure to keep a good grip on Diesel while carefully placing him back down on the ground, ensuring his safety.

"I'm warning you, you fat bastard. Don't _ever_ cross me again," Thomas' menacing monotonous voice rang through the air, but once Sir Topham Hatt and the others finally averted their attention from Diesel, the blue steam engine was gone.

"Sir?" another crewman spoke up, running up to his boss and looking him straight in the eyes for answers. But all he got was a blank void of dread.

But, eventually, Sir Topham Hatt found his voice, even though it was meek and breathless, "I don't know what just happened…but we need to shut down the railway."

* * *

 **So, Thomas has finally found powers of his own, and he has exposed himself to Sir Topham Hatt. The railway is going to be shut down, but will this really help?**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	6. Chapter 6 - Salty and Mavis Talk

Chapter 6 - Salty and Mavis Talk

News of Thomas' episode traveled fast, but not fast enough for Victor to stop his objective of fixing Percy after he woke up. And ironically, the same night Thomas disappeared was the same night Percy's repairs were nearly finished and was starting to recover.

"Victor?" Percy piped up meekly.

"Yes?" the said narrow gauge engine replied while puffing back in to check on his progress.

"Even with my injuries, I wasn't delusional, was I?"

"Not really. But you were in a mild coma."

"So, I _did_ see Thomas."

Victor stopped in front of the green engine, looking him directly in the eyes sincerely, "I don't know how that's possible, and like I said, you were in a deep state of suspension. Perhaps you were dreaming?"

"But he was really there, I just know it!"

"Calm down, Percy! Too much anxiety will put back in limbo."

Reluctantly, Percy huffed and went silent, staring in the same spot in front of him after Victor left, where Thomas was sitting before home that one night. He swore he saw him there; he could practically feel him there, and he heard his voice loud and clear…but what he said was a vague memory.

"Wherever you are, Thomas, I hope you're ok," Percy prayed softly while glancing up to the heavens, wondering where his best friend could possibly be.

* * *

Frankly, news of the events at the Scrap Yard traveled much faster to the clean up crew at the Diesel Works, and was completely cleared out of all people and vehicles in the middle of the night. And when everyone was gone, it opened a perfect window of opportunity for a certain engine in supposed exile.

"Man, that stuff you pulled last night! That took even _me_ by surprise!" Timothy exclaimed while physically accompanying Thomas that night, and the said blue engine only stared on at the mess he created.

"What made you change your mind?" Thomas was still silent for a moment, but pondered Timothy's question deeply.

"I finally realized that the world we live in is very flawed, and that Sir Topham Hatt is not fit to rule it," Thomas finally spoke.

"Clearly. But any other way, what do you propose we do now? Perhaps we should find another elective—maybe someone like you?"

"I'm just saying someone who knows what they're doing, and actually cares about the lives of everyone, should be in charge."

"Yup, you fit that position to a T. But I still have one question. How are you going to gain the access to such power?"

"You saw what I did, and you're even more familiar with what we can accomplish together. Throwing Sir Topham Hatt off of his quote-unquote 'throne' will be a cinch."

"Ok, and how are we going to do _that_?"

Thomas paused once more, staring blankly at the rubble again, "Did you notice someone was missing at the Scrap Yard?"

Realization hit him in the face, and the silver engine joined Thomas in staring at what used to be the Steam Works, but with wide eyes full of shock, "Why _him_? He tried to kill-!"

"Yes, I distinctly remember the one who threatened Percy to get into my head, but what I'm about to do next will make him realize he owes me his life," Thomas explained with a conniving grin, "Now, are you going to sit there, or are you going to help me clean up this mess?"

* * *

Most remaining diesels were relocated to spare sheds in the quarry until the Diesel Works was finished being rebuilt, but they were all devastated to learn that the reconstruction would be postponed until further notice. In fact, they weren't even informed as to why the reconstruction was suddenly put on hold, making most rather curious, annoyed, and impatient.

But unlike most diesels, there was one who couldn't escape her deep thoughts, who constantly tried to see the bigger picture: Mavis. She was more certain that ever that Thomas somehow had something to do with the events at the Diesel Works, especially after she discovered what he did at the Scrap Yard the previous night; the she-diesel wanted to head to the Scrap Yard to pay respect to Norman and Diesel, and she arrived shortly after Thomas disappeared.

But her theories were constantly brushed off and doubted by other engines when she tried to explain, and she realized she needed to talk to someone who was possibly experienced in the supernatural. So, Mavis left the quarry in the middle of the night and headed to the docks, in hopes of finding a certain sea-loving, pirate-accent-bearing engine.

"Salty?" The familiar unsmooth sputtering of Salty's engine disturbed the quiet night air, as he rolled out into the yard to Mavis.

"Ya may want ta keep it down, Lass, unless ya _want_ ta wake up Cranky. That'll be horrible for all of us," Salty chuckled quietly while referring to a slumbering Cranky above.

"Sorry. But listen, Salty, this is important," Mavis whispered sheepishly and came closer, "What do you know about demons?"

Salty's smile instantly disappeared, "Demons? Now, what on earth would push you ta such a topic?"

"Don't tell me you haven't heard about the fires at the Diesel Works."

"Of course I have."

"Well, think about it. The culprit behind all of this left no evidence as to who or what they are, and Percy has yet to recover his memories—and then there's Thomas."

"What does Thomas have ta do with all this?"

"I'm certain he has _a lot_ to do with it. I sent him to rescue Percy while I fetched the Sodor Rescue Center team, and then _he_ disappears without a trace. Are you putting two and two together yet?"

"It's very suspicious, yes, but it's also very nonsensical. You and I both know Thomas, and we know he would never deliberately harm another engine, let alone destroy the Diesel Works."

Mavis looked down in frustration after yet again getting rejected. But Salty was very close to her and felt slightly guilty for putting her down. Besides, her theories weren't _completely_ silly.

"Argh, chin up, Mavis. Tell ya what, you and I will go visit Percy in the morning ta see if he's recalled anything. If he has any useful information, I'll gladly open my mind," Salty gently reassured.

"Thank you. Just you wait. You'll know I'm right," Mavis pointed out with a feeble smile of determination and past putdowns.

* * *

 **Sorry for the chapter being shorter.**

 **So, Salty has agreed to humor Mavis, but she seems to be slipping due to the lack of understanding.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	7. Chapter 7 - Hide n' Corrupt

Chapter 7 - Hide n' Corrupt

He himself was certain he was good as dead, as the last he could recall was unbearable pain and searing heat, and then an empty void of blackness. But he was completely wrong. It was a miracle. He could hear his heartbeat, feel the burning sensation of air returning to his desperate lungs, and he opened his eyes to a very dimly lit structure.

But even with the lack of light, he instantly recognized the area as the Diesel Works. _His_ Diesel Works.

"Look who's finally awake," a sinister and ghostly voice spoke in amusement, and none other than Timothy puffed into the Diesel Works. And shortly after him, Thomas steamed in as well.

"How are you feeling, Diesel Ten?" Thomas questioned gently while staring up at the said diesel engine, who was hanging by the hook of Happy Hook.

"How is this possible?" Diesel Ten demanded, his voice surprisingly stronger than expected.

"How is _what_ possible? Be specific," Thomas corrected dryly.

"Myself, for starters! You murdered me!"

"Actually, against all odds, you were still alive when we found you—but just barely," Timothy informed with a wicked grin.

"Alive or not, why bring me back?"

"Because I know you would do anything just to get _this_ back." With that, Thomas used the same red magic to lift Diesel Ten's claw up into the air, tauntingly waving it from side to side. Diesel Ten then looked up in surprise, and finally noticed that his beloved Pinchy was no longer attached.

"Give it back!" the hanging diesel snapped, but he appeared much less threatening without his claw.

"Not with that attitude, I won't. And don't forget, you were clinging onto dear life, so it's only because of _us_ that you live. So, what's your choice?" Thomas hissed as his irises turned red.

Diesel Ten was quiet for a moment, shock overwhelming him while remembering the horrific events before passing out. He soon started sputtering, unable to get entire words or a whole sentence out, which quickly tried Thomas and Timothy's patience.

"English, motherfucker, do you speak it?!" Timothy exclaimed in annoyance.

"Timothy!" Thomas snapped at his partner before gazing back up at Diesel Ten firmly, "It shouldn't be a difficult decision for a devious diesel like you. Either do our bidding without question, and gain the unimaginable power you've always craved—or die."

"A-And I'll get my claw back?" Diesel Ten piped up meekly.

"Yes. Do we have a deal?" Thomas questioned while jokingly lifting Pinchy up to Diesel Ten's face, as if holding out a hand to shake.

Unable to forget what Thomas was capable of the last time he encountered him, Diesel Ten grinned in confidence, "Then you have my loyal services."

"Very wise choice, Oily," Timothy commented with a snarky laugh.

"Help me get him down," Thomas gently ordered Timothy, and the two hastily went to work to unhook Diesel Ten from the crane and gently lower him down onto the track in front of them.

"Thank you—Masters," Diesel Ten pointed out with a respectful smile.

"Hold still," Thomas instructed and lifted Pinchy up to Diesel Ten's roof, and it was effortlessly reattached with a bright flash of red.

As soon as his claw was reattached, Diesel Ten felt a frigid yet amazing shiver course through his body, and his eyes turned red, just like his new masters.

"Welcome aboard," Timothy chimed.

"Forgive me for sounding blunt, Masters, but what will you have me do first? Hold an engine driver for ransom? Murder an engine? Destroy an entire work yard?!" Diesel Ten ranted on until his grin grew even bigger, "Or perhaps you would like me to pull off something far more dastardly."

"Actually, your first task is much simpler—you're going to send a message," Thomas began firmly.

* * *

After the railway was shut down, the real reason behind it all was still kept secret, raising suspicion and fear amongst the people; Sir Topham Hatt was the pinnacle of the whole ordeal, so, of course, they all turned to him for answers.

But first, they would have to get to Knapford Station, where the majority of the island's residents gathered like frightened birds. The engines, diesel and steam alike, were all forced to go there as well before the railroad was completely shut down.

"I can't believe it! Can't anyone spare just a minute or two, so that I can have a good wash down? I mean, look at me!" James ranted on while cringing at his now mud-covered paint; it had been raining recently, and he accidentally ran through a giant mud puddle on the way to the station.

"Oh, please! The only reason you're covered in mud is because you were too afraid to stop," Gordon, the unfortunate victim of James' whining, protested, "Just because the railways are suddenly being shut down doesn't mean there's someone out to get us all. I swear, you're so gullible."

"Attention! May I have your attention, please?!" Sir Topham Hatt boomed while standing atop a crate, easily turning everyone's heads, "As far as we know, this is the safest place to be, and will be under constant protection and surveillance. So, please, do not leave until further notice!"

"But what's going to happen to us?"

"What's happening out there?"

"Yeah, what's really happening?! We have the right to know!"

Multiple citizens and workers started shouting over each other, either fearfully, in irritation, or angrily. They wanted answers, and they wanted them now; Sir Topham Hatt knew this, but still refused.

"Calm down! Now is not the time to argue and blindly accuse anyone of anything! We are simply here to hide, and-."

"Hide? Hide from what?!" Emily shouted demandingly.

"Trust me, the less you all know, the better. We can handle it," Sir Topham Hatt lied, finally turning away from the murmuring crowd and retreated into his office.

Meanwhile, just outside the station, Salty and Mavis watched and listened while the rain started up again.

"We should really stay put—like we were told," Salty protested, emphasizing the last part.

"No. The only way we're going to fix this is if we break a few rules. And I'm going to the Diesel Works, whether you're with me or not, _Pirate_ ," Mavis hissed before heading off. Salty babbled incoherently at Mavis' stubbornness, but eventually rolled his eyes and huffed while finally following her.

But just as they left, the rain suddenly grew stronger with a few rolls of thunder, and a chilling mist spread throughout the station. The people and engines quickly grew concerned, as they felt helpless while being consumed by the mist.

And then, a red glow emitted from the thickest of the fog at the edges of the station, and it grew larger and brighter the longer everyone stared.

"What is that?" Henry inquired.

"I don't know. But whatever it is, it's probably not good," Edward pointed out firmly.

Just as the glow faded away, a shadowy figure with a long and claw-like limb appeared, and a dark chuckle echoed in the rain, "Hello, there."

"Who are you?!" Gordon was the first to ask.

"Oh, it's just little old _me_ ," the shadow replied and slowly crept forward, revealing the long body of diesel engine that everyone wanted to forget. They all shuddered and backed away, as Diesel Ten pulled forward, and the demonic redness of his eyes was truly unsettling.

"Although I'm glad to have your complete attention, it's of utmost importance that Sir Topham Hatt hears this," Diesel Ten informed with a growl, "Where is he?"

Some of the station workers sprinted into Sir Topham Hatt's office, and not moments later, he came back out to see what the problem was. But when he saw that one of the victims of the night of the fire was still alive, his heart nearly stopped.

"No…"

"Oh, yes."

"But h-how?!"

"One way or another, all of those little details will come in due time. But for now, I need you to listen." Sir Topham Hatt reluctantly closed his mouth, unable to look away from Diesel Ten's eyes, which have noticeably changed. And once he knew he was really listening, Diesel Ten grinned and looked back out to the crowd.

"You see, you're all here for one reason: There's a new ruler, and-!"

"We would never bow to the likes of you!" Sir Topham Hatt interrupted with a visible scowl.

"Oh, I'm not talking me," Diesel Ten chuckled in great amusement, "No, the one you should all fear now is none other than your precious number one engine—Thomas. And if you don't like it, well, then you can just go take it up with him yourselves."

The long diesel engine started backing out of the station, but he stopped when he saw the dumbfounded faces sprinkled amongst the crowd, "Oh, don't worry, he won't hide! In fact, he's just a hop, skip, and jump away—at the Diesel Works!"

Diesel Ten averted his eyes back to Sir Topham Hatt, grinning once more and lowering his voice, "My Master has a personal vendetta with you. He says you have until tomorrow night to come see him. If you don't show up, someone could get hurt."

With a loud clank and spark of his claw, Diesel Ten finally disappeared into the fog with another menacing chuckle, "See you then."

* * *

The fog and heavier weather never seemed to follow Salty and Mavis all the way out to the Diesel Works, not that they really cared or noticed; Mavis was only concerned with proving her theory correct, while Salty was more focused on keeping her on track(if you'll pardon the pun).

"So, um, just out of curiosity, Lass—what're you gonna do if ya find out you're right?" Salty began.

"Isn't it obvious? I'll do whatever it takes to take down this monster, this demon that destroyed our Diesel Works and fellow diesels," Mavis replied sternly, glaring ahead as they slowed at the entrance to the Diesel Works.

"A-And if the rest of your theory is correct…then what if Thomas really is behind all this?"

Mavis paused and pondered deeply, "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."

With that, the two diesels slowly continued on, into the now shadowy and foreboding place they once called home; even if some of the other less-trustworthy diesels lived there before, it seemed brighter back then. But now, only doom and gloom hung in the air.

Before long, the building came into view and startled the two engines, one more than the other.

"How do you explain an entire building still standing so perfectly after a huge fire?" Mavis deadpanned.

"I-I…I don't know," was all Salty could say, as he continued to stare in awe.

"Well, come on. The culprit isn't going to just reveal itself."

"Wait, d-don't you think finding the building is enough proof?!"

"No!" Mavis' shrill voice echoed throughout the yard, stopping Salty in his tracks. The she-diesel blinked and sighed, "As long as this monster lives and breathes, I will never be at peace. I have to know what happened that night."

"Well then, your confrontation with your regrets will end right here," came an all-too familiar voice, and Thomas himself puffed out of the darkness, "I'll gladly tell you everything I know."

"Perfect," Mavis began with a sigh of relief, "Please, tell me—what happened after I left to get help?"

The blue steam engine's face grew dry and emotionless, "I started the fire."

Salty and Mavis exchanged horrified looks, but Thomas continued, "Diesel Ten and I had a little disagreement, so I gave him a taste of his own medicine—the others were just unlucky enough to get caught in up in our little brawl, as well as the Diesel Works. I won't lie, I'm sorry for destroying it—but I've made it better. See?"

Multiple torches were suddenly lit, bringing light, albeit dim, to the darkness within the building. Indeed, the Diesel Works was now cleaner and newer than it has ever looked, and it certainly didn't go unnoticed by Mavis and Salty.

"I know it barely makes up for what I did, but you should know that not everyone suffered that night," Thomas added, finally putting on a face of utmost sincerity, "Only Norman perished."

"Because of _you_!" Mavis roared at the top of her lungs, "You're sick! It's because of you that all this fear and turmoil has consumed the island! Everyone is _terrified_ of you, Thomas, but they'll stop at nothing until you're defeated!"

"Defeated?" Thomas scoffed and puffed up to Mavis, "When I'm done, you'll realize I was never your enemy to begin with, My Dear."

"Leave her alone," Salty growled threateningly, a glare plastered on his face.

Thomas' grin immediately faltered, and he looked at Salty with disdain, "You know, the last diesel who thought he could confront me crashed and burned in a fiery inferno. So, unless you want to share that same fate, I suggest you back off."

Reluctantly, Salty moved back a bit and went quiet, but his scowl remained. Mavis stood her ground the whole time, and bared an even more vicious glare than her partner.

"But now, you both know too much. I'm afraid I can't let you go," Thomas calmly pointed out.

"What? No, that wasn't part of the deal!" Mavis argued.

" _Actually_ , the deal was I told you what I know—I never said I'd let you go so that you could rat me out afterwards."

"You'll never get away with this!" Salty shouted and darted backwards as fast as he could, but his attempts to escape became futile as soon as he passed under the Diesel Works sign; the scaffolding and support beams were encased in a red glow, Thomas' eyes glowing with a matching color.

 _You know what to do,_ Timothy informed in appeasement, but Thomas only stared on blankly as sparks flew and the entire structure of the sign came toppling down, and effortlessly split Salty in half.

"No!" Mavis cried, tears brimming at her eyes, "How could you do that to him?! He didn't do anything wrong! …He just wanted to help me…"

"And that's exactly where he went wrong," Thomas calmly added, but his eyes were still red and his voice was monotonous, "Oh, how terrible it must feel to be responsible for the death of a dear friend. It's unbearable, isn't it, Mavis?"

Thomas inched forward, closing the space between his and Mavis' faces while wearing that smug smile again; as tears spilled from her eyes, she could only look directly into those demonic irises. Before long, Mavis' own eyes faded into the exact same shade of crimson as Thomas'.

"Let me ease those nerves…" Thomas chimed.

* * *

 **It seems that not even Mavis is strong enough to resist the temptation...**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	8. Chapter 8 - New Wounds

Chapter 8 - New Wounds

Percy couldn't believe it. One of the diesels that had been presumed dead was now sitting under the same roof with him, undergoing major medical care; Diesel was severely burned and rusted when he arrived at the Steam Works, and he was so shaken that he hadn't uttered a word in the past week.

But when Percy was finally allowed to move about the Steam Works, and when Diesel was allowed to have visitors, he took that opportunity to approach the traumatized diesel and find out everything he can.

"Hello, Diesel," Percy gently greeted while pulling into his ward, but the he remained silent, "So, um…are you feeling any better? I mean, I understand it wouldn't be that easy to cope with…everything that just happened. Ahem! But I'm willing to listen if you ever need anyone to talk to."

There was still no response from Diesel, as he stared blankly into space, a noticeable twitch occupying his eye. Percy waited a little while longer but eventually gave up, so he puffed slowly to get away from the awkward silence.

But then, out of nowhere, Diesel finally spoke, "He saved my life."

Percy instantly stopped and went back, looking Diesel directly in the eye even though he still refused to look into his, "Who, Diesel?"

"T-Thomas," he replied shakily, "A-And that's what confuses me…he's a steam, and I'm a diesel…and I helped in trying to kill-."

"Me. His best friend," Percy cut in firmly.

"Exactly…s-so why are _you_ …being nice to me, too?"

"Because it wasn't you who was after Thomas and threatened to hurt me—that was Diesel Ten. I'm willing to forgive those who fell under his iron claw."

That brought Diesel out of his blank gaze, and his eyes meekly drifted over to the green engine in curiosity, "Really?"

"Of course." Percy smiled at first, but it soon faltered. "But I'm trying my best to forgive someone else…"

Diesel figured he was talking about Thomas, but thought it was best not to mention him at the moment. So, he thought of something else to say, "I'm sorry, by the way."

Unbelievably, in Diesel's opinion, a forgiving smile crept back onto Percy's face, "It's ok. Like I said, I can forgive you. Goodnight."

With that, the steam engine puffed out of Diesel's ward and over to his own, which was the next one over. That left a fully awake Diesel alone to contemplate some things; how lucky he was to be alive and well, earning forgiveness so easily, and how wrong he was for following a monster like Diesel Ten.

Meanwhile, Percy quietly went back into his ward, unable to shake a certain blue tank engine from his mind. How could someone as close as Thomas become so…evil?

He immediately regretted finishing that thought, for the last thing he wanted to view his was best friend was as a monster. But as soon as that thought crossed his mind…

"Hi, Percy." The said green engine gasped when he heard a chilling yet comforting voice, and he looked behind him to find that it was none other than…

"T-Thomas? W-What're you doing here?" Percy whispered hysterically.

"I wanted to say hello to my best friend. Last time, our meeting was brief because you were too weak, as I'm sure you can remember," Thomas calmly explained.

"Yes…I'm glad to see you're ok."

"And vice versa. You have no idea how worried I've been since the night of the fire."

The two were quiet for a few moments, but then Percy finally gathered the strength to ask a million dollar question, "What happened? After I passed out, that is? Everyone either doesn't know, or just keeps avoiding the subject."

"And it's for a good reason, Percy. That night was quite horrific, so I would be thankful that I missed the ending, if I were you."

"Please, Thomas. I want the truth— _all_ of it."

Thomas closed his eyes and exhaled, "I was afraid you would say that. Not that it matters. What I'm about to do next was going to happen either way."

"What was going to happ-?" Percy's sentence was never finished when Thomas' eyes flashed red, and an aura of the same color spread throughout the entire ward, knocking Percy and any nearby workmen unconscious for a short time.

"In time, you'll come to understand why I do what I do," Thomas told Percy, even though he knew he couldn't hear him anymore. And with that, the two engines disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Little did Thomas know that Diesel was still right next door, and even though the outer edge of his magic reached into his ward, it wasn't far enough to put him to sleep like the others; though, it managed to reach part of his mind, and his left eye was now crimson.

* * *

The thought of coming back to the Diesel Works was something that had always sparked interest ever since it was burned down, but now that Mavis was trapped there, she wanted nothing more than to escape. Unfortunately, with Thomas being in control of her own mind and a magical barrier surrounding the entire area, escaping would be easier said than done.

"You'll get used to it," Diesel Ten pointed out and rolled up to her, "The mind manipulation, I mean. You'll learn that it's for the greater good."

"The greater good?" Mavis repeated in disbelief, her tear-stained face getting dampened with new tears, "Salty is dead because of this…greater good. I never wanted to be a part of this!"

"Too bad, you whiny bitch!" Pinchy snapped and sparks flew, some of them falling down onto Diesel Ten's face, yet he never flinched in pain. "Life is full of painful twists and turns, and there's _nothing_ you can do about it."

"That's enough, Diesel Ten," Thomas hissed and puffed into the Diesel Works, as he pulled a large flatbed with a sleeping Percy safely sitting on top, "Did you get the message to him?"

"Oh, yes, Master. He'll be crawling to you like a lost puppy, this time tomorrow," Diesel Ten informed giddily, "Oh, and tell me, where is Timothy?"

"He's here, but you needn't worry about that. I've got another job for you: Stay here and when Sir Topham Hatt comes, never let him out of your sight," Thomas instructed.

"Will do, Master. But with all due respect—where does that leave you?"

"Percy, Mavis, and I are going on a little trip. You'll be in charge of the force field while I'm gone. No one gets in or out without your consult."

"Where are you going?"

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out. Understood?"

A sliver of fear was visible on Diesel Ten's face under Thomas' intimidating glare, but it quickly passed, "Yes."

"Good. Now, My Dear, as I've said before, you're joining me on this little journey," Thomas told Mavis with a smile.

"W-What? No! I'm not going with you!" Mavis protested and tried to back away, but her red eyes glowed brighter and she found that her breaks stopped her against her own will.

"Ah-ah-ah! See, I need you, Mavis—and the potential you hold for my future."

"Potential?"

Thomas chuckled darkly, "I'll explain later. Come, we've got to get going before anyone suspects anything."

But just as he dragged an unwilling Mavis along, Thomas gasped and suddenly stopped; his left eye was glowing brighter than usual, and he knew that was bad.

"Change of plans. I'll stay here for a little while longer, and you're going out to fetch something for me," Thomas told Diesel Ten.

"Of course. Where to, Master?" Diesel Ten questioned.

"Be careful and make your way to the Steam Works—there's a pest there that needs to be _fully_ dealt with."

* * *

"Victor! Victor, please, where are you?!" Diesel's frantic voice echoed throughout the Steam Works, but none of the workmen nearby had woken up yet. Luckily, though, Victor was never a victim of the spell, and it didn't take him long to hear one of his patient's pleading calls.

"What's wrong, Diesel?" Victor asked with concern.

"We need to get out of here, now!"

"Now, hold on! You can't move yet, you're still healing! And what are you talking about, and…my goodness, w-what happened to your eye?"

"Don't worry about it! It's Thomas, he's kidnapped Percy!"

"What?! How?!"

"I don't know, but go see for yourself. I'll bet you he's not there anymore."

Still unable to believe him, Victor slowly left Diesel's ward and headed over to Percy's. He was utterly shocked when he saw that his other patient was really gone.

"How could this happen?" Victor pondered aloud.

"AAAGGHHH!"

Just as loud and shrill as Diesel's cries were the cries of Victor's clumsy and trustworthy crane, Kevin; Victor immediately rushed back out to see what was happening, but the sight before him was horrifying.

The upper half of Kevin's crane arm was torn off, and blood spurted out the top like a fountain; poor Kevin was helplessly lying on his side, his eyes wide and lifeless, and the other half of his hook was clutched within the claws of Diesel Ten.

"What have you done?!" Victor scolded at the top of his lungs, a fire of rage plastered on his face and blazed in his eyes.

"Sorry, he was in the way," Diesel Ten apologized sarcastically, lifting the crane and whirling the hook around violently, "And so are you."

With that, Diesel Ten quickly approached the older engine while continuing to spin the hook around, and took a different track to get to Diesel's ward. But as he thundered past Victor, the sharp hook struck his right eye, creating an awfully large gash.

But even as the blood flowed down Victor's face like a waterfall, he was still determined to stop Diesel Ten and rushed in after him. But when he tried to follow him, he stopped when Diesel Ten came rushing out backwards while Diesel pushed against him with all his might. Despite Victor's warnings, Diesel, too, was willing to forget the horrible past to stop this crazed engine.

Against all odds, Diesel proved to be slightly stronger than Diesel Ten, which resulted in the latter's claw accidentally whacking a support beam; the impact was enough to shatter the beam, and the upper part came crashing down onto Diesel Ten's claw, nearly detaching it from its arm.

Diesel Ten let out a roar of agony, and his beloved Pinchy hung limp over the side of his roof. But with that pain came more searing rage.

"This isn't over!" Diesel Ten cried out, the whiteness in his eyes turning pitch black at the peak of his anger, and he finally retreated into the night.

Victor and Diesel huffed in the horrific aftermath, as the blood of their new wounds dried and their heart rates tried to slow.

"You believe me now?" Diesel huffed.

But Victor never responded, and Diesel followed the old engine's gaze to Kevin's motionless body; he suddenly felt a tad guilty, but not enough to meekly approach Victor and try again.

"You wanna avenge him? Then stop fixin' everyone's wounds, and _make_ some," Diesel growled matter-of-factly.

* * *

 **Yet another life is lost, and yet another heart is shattered. How will Victor cope?**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	9. Chapter 9 - Diesel's Debt

Chapter 9 - Diesel's Debt

Thomas growled in annoyance, as he puffed throughout the Diesel Works with his left eye practically buzzing with red energy.

"Ugh, what's taking him so long?" the blue engine growled.

"I bet he failed," Mavis protested in confidence; she had been forced to stick by Thomas' side, and Percy was comfortably put away in a corner for his coma-induced state.

"Oh, really? What makes you so sure?" Thomas questioned with an amused smile.

"Bad guys don't win."

"But I already told you, _I'm_ not the bad guy. In fact, if you must know, I'm doing everything I can to stop the real evil here."

"Yeah? And what's that?"

Just before Thomas could answer, Diesel Ten came rushing into the building, his face red from exhaustion from the quick journey.

"What happened?" Thomas demanded.

"I'm sorry, Master…I-I was outsmarted and beaten," Diesel Ten sheepishly replied, lifting Pinchy to emphasize his point. But at the sight of the limp claw, Thomas only snarled fiercely.

"You idiot!"

Thomas's eyes went black and his irises turned crimson, glowing brightly with rage as he gritted his teeth; his scolding tone echoed off the walls many times, making both Diesel Ten and Mavis flinch.

And just then, the soft and helpless sounds of Percy waking up could be heard, instantly alerting the blue engine while the blackness in his eyes faded away.

"Now, look what you've done!" Thomas hissed at Diesel Ten, and quietly puffed up to him, "But I guess I should've known better. If I am to deal with a problem, I should do it myself."

"Please, forgive me, Master. I will _never_ fail you again," Diesel Ten pleaded.

"No, you won't. If you do, your broken claw will look like child's play."

Diesel Ten audibly gulped in fear, "Y-Yes, Master."

"Stay back, you two. I've got a more pressing matter to deal with, now." Thomas approached Percy as he slowly awoke, and the two diesels wasted no time in retreating to the far side of the building.

"W-Where am I?" Percy spoke groggily, but his eyes instantly widened at the sight of his best friend, "Thomas? What are you doing here…at the Diesel Works?"

"I brought you here, to save you from _Him_ ," Thomas replied with a grimace at the thought of previous obese boss.

"What do you mean? Thomas, I was never in danger!"

"Oh, but you were— _all_ of you were. And soon, thanks to me, you'll be safe from that fat controller forever."

"Y-You mean, Sir Topham Hatt? What does he have to do with any of this? What did he do wrong?!"

"He wanted to turn you into scrap!" Thomas suddenly snapped, his eyes glowing brighter again, making Percy gasp in fright. And upon seeing the terror he caused Percy, Thomas' glare immediately faltered and any demonic redness in his eyes disappeared completely.

"Percy, look at me." Reluctantly, the said green engine looked into Thomas' eyes, and any trace of the monster that occupied him truly seemed to be gone. "Everything I'm doing is to protect you and all of our friends. You have to trust me, please…I don't want to lose you."

Percy was surprised when he swore he saw tears welling up in Thomas' eyes, but he was quick to blink them away.

"I want to trust you, Thomas, I _really_ do," Percy softly admitted, and Thomas smiled, "But—you're not the Thomas I remember anymore. I feel like he's gone, and I don't know why."

"He's not gone. Just trapped. And I'm trying to free him."

"How do I know if you're telling the truth?"

Thomas didn't answer for a moment, "You don't."

At that, Thomas gave up at trying to convince Percy of his motivations, and sorrowfully chuffed back over to Mavis and Diesel Ten. And as soon as he was close enough, he instantly put on a straight face.

"Patrol the perimeter, keep an eye out for any intruders." Diesel Ten wasted no time in following orders, and immediately headed out to check on the borders around the Diesel Works.

"And you, Mavis, be a dear and keep Percy company, make sure he stays comfortable. I'm heading out."

* * *

Sir Topham Hatt recruited Gordon, James, and Henry to come with him to the Steam Works after receiving an urgent call; he called them in particular since their larger size and strength promised the perfect security for the unsafe journey.

Upon arrival to the Steam Works, the four visitors were shocked to find the whole interior in shambles.

"Victor? Are you there?!" Sir Topham Hatt called.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say the same monster that destroyed the Diesel Works wasn't satisfied with just that," James pondered aloud.

"Y-You mean…i-it wanted revenge on the Steam Works, too? B-B-But why?" Henry stuttered in fear.

"Oh, God…" Gordon spoke next, but his voice was meek and full of terror. Henry and James followed his gaze and approached him, and they saw the horrifying sight he had been staring at.

"Is that…Kevin?" James questioned, wide eyes locked on the lifeless crane whose dried blood stained what remained of his arm.

"I'm gonna be sick," Henry admitted, his face turning pale green as he fought to keep himself from spilling his guts.

"What happened? What did you…find?" Sir Topham Hatt tried to ask when he approached the three engines, but he nearly lost his voice when he, too, saw Kevin's corpse, "What the heavens…what did this?"

"It was Diesel Ten," came a strong voice, the and the four turned to find Diesel, with some noticeably new injuries, "That traitor was after me—and poor Kevin and Victor were caught up in the carnage."

"Where is Victor now? Is he still with us?" Sir Topham Hatt quickly inquired.

"Yes—but you won't get much outta him. He feels completely responsible for Kevin's death, and he won't talk or anything. Trust me, I've been trying for hours."

"Hours? How long ago did this all occur?"

"Just last night. And I'd be lying if I didn't think Thomas wasn't the one who sent Diesel Ten in the first place."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, I, for one, don't doubt this! Diesel Ten said it himself, this is all Thomas' doing!" Gordon scolded, "So, I say we finally take the fight to him!"

"Against a demon? Are you mad?!" James exclaimed.

"Thomas is neither a demon nor a monster!" Sir Topham Hatt boomed, "He was, and _still is_ , our friend and number one engine. Above all, we must make peace with him, and only fight if it is absolutely necessary."

"Oh, so this is all about the praise you've given Thomas over the years, isn't it?" Gordon snarled matter-of-factly, " _Bullshit_."

"He's right! What about the rest of us?! Or are we all just useless scrap?!" James snapped.

"I'm simply trying to prevent a war! And you are all on _my_ railway, so you will do as I say!" All engines' eyes went wide at Sir Topham Hatt's vicious tone.

The awkward silence was suddenly interrupted by Diesel's pained grunts, and his left eye was sparking with energy.

"What's wrong?" Henry asked out of concern.

"Gah…it's Thomas…he's left the Diesel Works," Diesel grunted.

"What? Right now?" James questioned and started to panic, "What do we do?!"

"We've got bigger problems to worry about."

"What do you mean, Diesel?" Gordon demanded.

"I lied—Victor isn't _here_ anymore. He left to find Diesel Ten."

"What? Why didn't you say anything sooner?!" Sir Topham Hatt scolded.

"He told me not to, so that he could get a head start."

"You called us here to create a diversion," Gordon muttered matter-of-factly, "Why?"

"Victor knew you wouldn't approve of him going out alone," Diesel replied, glaring at Sir Topham Hatt, "And if it wasn't for me, Kevin would still be alive, so I owe him that much."

"Really?" Everyone gasped and their eyes widened in terror when Thomas entered the Steam Works, eyes glowing red and a smug grin on his face.

"You're not welcome here, _Demon_ ," James hissed warningly, and Gordon and Henry hastily joined his side to make a stand.

"Demon? Oh, James, that really hurts," Thomas admitted in offense.

"You are not going to hurt one more soul, Thomas. Not without a fight," Sir Topham Hatt protested while walking out in front of the three engines, showing Thomas that he wasn't afraid of him.

"Well, that'd be rather noble of you—if I was actually here to hurt someone."

In the blink of an eye, both Thomas and Diesel disappeared in a cloud of darkness, instantly dazing Sir Topham Hatt and the other engines. And when Diesel shook away the dizziness, he suddenly found himself right back in the place he was sure he had burned to death.

"What do you want with me?" Diesel demanded of the blue engine.

"Relax, Diesel, you're not going to get hurt," Thomas calmly reassured, "After all, it wasn't your fault you were accidentally caught in a mind-manipulation spell of mine. I just want to remove it, and then you can be on your way."

"No, wait…why is it so important to you that you fix me right now? What's really going on with me?"

Another burst of energy surged through the left side of Diesel's head, but Thomas unexpectedly joined him in his painful groans. And as soon as it passed, realization came to Diesel.

"The unstable reaction—it's connected to you, isn't it?" Diesel stated matter-of-factly.

"It doesn't matter! We can both go our separate ways as soon as I get this virus out of your head!" Thomas hissed.

"You mean out of _your_ head! One little slip up with me, and…" Diesel paused and grinned in confidence when he found a sudden burst of strength, and Thomas started roaring in agony. "I knew it. We share a mind, now, don't we?"

Thomas tried his best to ignore the lingering pain, as he only managed to open one eye and speak through grinding teeth, "I'm warning you, Diesel…"

"Warning me of what? The power you hogged all ta yourself? Why warn me when I'm not even scared of it anymore?" Diesel chuckled in amazement, his eye glowing brighter than ever, "Sorry, Thomas, but whatever it is you have planned for this island is ruined— _I'm_ in control now."

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" A ring of red magic quickly expanded around Thomas and Diesel, and the latter was left dazed and confused the mere second it passed through him, even wiping all magic from his mind.

"Next time…remember not to monologue," Thomas huffed and waited to catch his breath.

 _Damn…for an oily box on wheels, he sure can pack a punch,_ a sinister voice muttered in Thomas' head.

"Go away," Thomas demanded, but that didn't stop Timothy from prying.

 _Oh c'mon, we haven't talked in a while, Buddy. I've missed our spicy little talks._

"They're only 'spicy' because I never want you around."

 _Point taken. But you haven't been keeping me updated on the plan. I wanna know what's next on the agenda._

"All I can say is, it's something of _great_ importance."

* * *

 **As far as I'm concerned, Diesel is still alive...maybe. Honestly, with all the deaths recently, I don't blame you for not trusting me.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	10. Chapter 10 - Suffer Alone

Chapter 10 - Suffer Alone

The Logging Locos have been completely oblivious to the recent horrific events on Sodor, as they rarely traveled there, anyway. Little did they know that Sodor's terror would soon become their own.

It was just a normal, gloomy day on Misty Island; Bash, Dash and Ferdinand were shunting and loading logs onto flatbeds with the help of Hee Haw and Ol' Wheezy. And like usual, they liked to save a few logs for when their work was finished and give it to Ol' Wheezy to throw around without a care. But as they laughed hysterically when a log went flying, their laughter ceased when the giant limb stopped in mid-air, just before the big crash they were expecting.

Instead, the log had an even brighter red glow to it than usual, as it was slowly brought back over and floated in midair. But before long, the log burst into flames, exploding into a million fiery pieces and making all three engines crying in fear.

"Sorry for the theatrics, but is how else was I supposed to enter?" Thomas' voice came, his nonchalant tone matching his confident smirk as he rolled in with a terrified Ryan by his side.

"Please, let me go," Ryan whimpered.

"Quiet!" Thomas snapped before averting his attention back to the Logging Locos and smiling again, "I need to ask a small favor of you three. And I won't lie, if you don't listen—well, let's just say that my _dear old_ friend Ryan here will be sleeping with the logs."

Bash, Dash and Ferdinand remained quiet, exchanging nervous glances and puffing out steam in hesitation. This tried Thomas' patience, as he soon grabbed another huge log and knocked it against Ryan's boiler hard. As Ryan cried out in pain, the Logging Locos finally realized that this was no joke.

"What do you want?" Bash quickly questioned.

"We'll do anything, just don't hurt him or us!" Dash added.

"Th-That's right!" Ferdinand shakily informed.

"Shut the hell up!" Thomas snapped and struck Ferdinand's cab without a second thought, "You're the most annoying engines I've ever had the displeasure of meeting, and I'm sure everyone on Sodor and in the future would agree."

"Are you going to kill them?" Ryan sheepishly inquired.

Thomas was quiet for a moment, looking at Ryan and back with a quirked brow, "No. But I do want them gone."

"What?" Bash and Dash asked in unison.

"I've got too much blood on my hands—er, wheels—already, so I'm really not looking forward to killing anymore," Thomas calmly began, "All I ask is that you leave. Go to the docks on Sodor, catch a boat, make up an excuse, any excuse—just be sure to never come back. Think you idiots can handle that?"

"Y-Yes," Bash answered.

"Of course," Dash nervously added.

Ferdinand was about to reply with his trademark "That's right," but held his tongue when he saw the deathly black and red glare that Thomas gave him, as they all steamed by and left their island for good.

But even after they left, Thomas still held onto the log and even grabbed a few bigger ones, snapping some in half to create sharper edges.

"W-What are you doing? They left, just like you asked," Ryan pointed out when the sharp ends of a few logs loomed over his face.

"Yeah—but I haven't forgotten how happy you were when you took my branch line," Thomas stated with a monotonous growl, interrupting Ryan when he opened his mouth to speak again, "I know what you're thinking. 'Oh, but Thomas, it was just temporary, and Sir Topham Hatt made me do it'. I wish I could believe you, but pride is an inescapable feeling."

The logs grew closer, the red glow and Thomas' eyes getting brighter.

"B-But you said you weren't going to kill anymore!" Ryan begged.

"I lied."

The last thing Ryan remembered was a broken log being shoved into his eyes; his screams echoing throughout the forest as a chilling mist rolled in at the loss of another soul.

* * *

Victor knew he didn't have much time. He needed to find Diesel Ten and avenge his beloved employee, Kevin; otherwise, it would have been all for naught.

 _Se valiente…you can do this, Victor,_ the Cuban engine told himself over and over, slowly puffing along due to the tracks being larger than his own narrow gauge. But with hyper-extension and sheer luck, he managed to get quite far; he also got along by remembering the real reason he was out here.

 _…_ _for Kevin._

Victor pushed on until he came up to the old Diesel Works sign, but then the air was pierced by the long whoosh of Gordon's whistle. The others were starting to catch up, sending the narrow gauge engine into a panic as he picked up speed.

The closer he grew to the Diesel Works, the thicker and darker the clouds become, a tell tale sign that evil still lingered. Which is exactly what Victor was hoping for.

Soon, the gloomy building came into view, propelling the Cuban engine's anger and determination.

"Diesel Ten!" Victor shouted at the top of his lungs. But as soon as he entered the yard, something came barreling towards him, bashing into his side and sending him rolling a many feet away. As sparks flew and metal scraped against concrete, a chilling maniacal laugh filled the air.

"Did you really think you could surprise _me_?" Diesel Ten cackled while approaching Victor, who was helplessly laying on his side, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised—your little crane was quite disposable. Why should you be any different?"

Just before Diesel Ten could strike with his newly-repaired claw, which gleamed with razor sharp revenge, Mavis came racing through and bashed face-first into his front buffers.

"What are you doing?!" Diesel Ten hissed while recollecting himself.

"Saving a friend," Mavis calmly yet firmly replied and stood in front of Victor defensively.

Diesel Ten only grinned, his eyes turning black and red again, "You're such a bitch."

Before they knew it, Mavis and Victor felt a supernatural pull on them, as the narrow gauge engine was lifted back onto his wheels, and Mavis was forcefully pulled slowly towards Diesel Ten; he lowered Pinchy in front of his face, chomping rapidly and sending sparks flying as his victims grew closer and closer.

The she-engine grunted and cried as pain and death approached, wishing that Thomas was here to save her for once. But help never came. Mavis closed her eyes to brace for the worst, giving up all hope—but then everything went silent. The clanging stopped, the sparks ceased, and even the screeching of brakes hushed.

"What happened?" Mavis breathed.

"I-I don't know…I can't…move," Diesel Ten grunted, continuously trying to move his claw or even move along the tracks. But nothing happened. A few puffs of steam emerged from Victor's smokestack as he rolled back with ease, further raising confusion and fear.

But Mavis was quick to think, and saw the perfect opportunity to finally do something.

"Percy is on a flatbed inside the main building. Grab him and get out of here. Hurry!" the she-diesel demanded while keeping her eye on Diesel Ten, and Victor soon made his way into the Diesel Works without question.

"You really think you can win?" Diesel Ten snarled, still unable to fight back.

"Nope," she simply answered, and with a cold glare came a swift push to Diesel Ten. Both diesels were utterly scared and confused, especially when Thomas' whistle sounded.

Soon after, the blue engine came racing in with a curious glare, "What is going on here?!"

"She's a traitor, Master! She saved Victor!" Diesel Ten quickly replied.

"Victor? Where is he now?"

Before they could respond, James came out of nowhere and bashed into Thomas with full force, taking him by complete surprise and sending him many yards forward.

"Yippee-ki-yay, Motherfucker!" James exclaimed boastfully.

Thomas was instantly pushed to the limit, his eyes black and red, his teeth sharpening into fangs, and the one on his side leaked with blood when the zero appeared again.

"You're going to regret that!" Thomas' voice had many pitches, most of them loud and demonic.

"EXPRESS COMING THROUGH!" Without warning, Gordon rushed in from the side, running into Thomas hard enough to knock him clean off the tracks and scooting a little ways across the yard. But he didn't stay down for long, and roared at the top of his lungs while transforming into a silver-blue mist and appearing back on the tracks as a solid engine.

Gordon and James immediately acted before he could gather himself, as James took a junction to get in behind him and Gordon took another to get in front; both engines clashed into Thomas at the same time, keeping him still as sparks flew from Thomas' wheels and their breaks, all three fighting to either move or keep still.

Meanwhile, Victor had coupled up to the flatbed carrying Percy and prepared to make a quick get away, but it wasn't easy for a smaller engine like him to pull such a heavy load; he could barely pull him to the entrance.

Just then, Henry whistled as he rolled in with Sir Topham Hatt in his cab, "Need some help?"

"Si! Thank you, Henry!" Victor happily replied as Henry coupled up to his front buffers, and reversed to help him pull Percy out. As they made their way through the yard, Thomas was constantly growling and roaring like a wild animal, but Gordon and James still proved to be stronger.

As soon as Thomas noticed that Percy was getting away, the demonic glow in his eyes almost immediately faded away. When they saw the window of opportunity, James backed out of the way while Gordon pushed against the smaller blue engine with all of his might; they soon crashed into the Diesel Works, metal crumpling as Thomas grunted in agony upon impact.

"You're done for," Gordon growled threateningly.

"Gordon, let's go!" Sir Topham Hatt shouted, to which the said large engine reluctantly backed out and left with everyone; even Mavis seized the opportunity to escape. The only one that stayed was Diesel Ten.

"Master, are you ok?" Diesel Ten asked with concern, nervously approaching his recovering master.

"I'll be fine," Thomas breathed meekly, closing his eyes to try and ignore the pain, "But I'm very disappointed in you."

"I-I'm very sorry, Master! There was too many of them!"

"I know, and I suppose that after everything that's happened, I shouldn't have expected more from you."

All of the sudden, Diesel Ten felt all of his energy being siphoned, slowly loosing all feeling in his limbs and his vision blurred.

"W-What's…happening?" Diesel Ten groaned.

"When you were rescued, you were still alive—but just barely. My magic was what kept you from decaying this whole time, but now I see no better way to end you," Thomas explained as hints of red magic were transferred back to him.

As the last of the magic left his body, Diesel Ten became dull and grey, his eyes lifeless and his claw going limp at his side.

Thomas slowly and meekly chuffed out of the Diesel Works, making sure to tell Diesel Ten one last thing before he was completely dead, "You were always meant to suffer alone."

* * *

 **I couldn't help but kill off Ryan because of Thomas' grudge against him in Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure. Sorry, Ryan fans.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	11. Chapter 11 - Time to Make a Stand

Chapter 11 - Time to Make a Stand

Sir Topham Hatt knew that panic would begin to spread when he and the others wouldn't return from their trip to the Steam Works, and then the Diesel Works; in fact, they were never even made aware of their departure in the first place.

And after rescuing Victor, Mavis, and Percy from Thomas' clutches with sheer luck, Sir Topham Hatt decided it was best to hide out for a few days and let anxiety die down. So, he took everyone back to the Steam Works, where Victor, who was still a little shaken, agreed to tend to everyone's wounds.

When night had fallen, most engines had been taken care of and fallen asleep, albeit with one eye open at first. But Victor and Sir Topham, both whose minds were fraught with dread, just couldn't sleep.

"How are you feeling, Victor?" the hefty man softly began, as he approached the Cuban engine outside of the building. Most of the clouds had rolled away, and so all that was left was a beautiful night sky dotted with stars and a single full moon.

"Honestly, Sir—like I'm going to throw up," Victor replied in disgust, closing his eyes and inhaling. Sir Topham Hatt noticed this, and finally got a good look at his eye.

"And your eye? Can you still see with it?"

"Yes, but just barely. I'm afraid it's broken beyond even _my_ repairs." The two were silent a long while, until a lingering thought crossed Victor's mind and he finally spoke again. "I think I need to go."

"Go?" Sir Topham repeated in great confusion.

"Si. I can't stay here," the narrow gauge engine replied sorrowfully, "There's nothing left for me here, anyway."

"But what about your job here at the Steam Works? All ailing engines will need someone to look after them!"

"Then you can find someone else, but leave me out of it!"

Victor's cold glare and hissing tone certainly made Sir Topham Hatt hold his tongue, but he was even more confused when the Cuban engine slowly chuffed forward.

"You're already leaving?" the large man inquired in fear.

"Actually, I'm going to think about it. Funny enough, I'm still a sensible engine after all the mierda that's happened, huh?" Victor answered dryly before disappearing into the night.

Victor was too correct, and his words nearly made Sir Topham Hatt gasp. But the large man just stood there in the dark, trying to figure out what to do, say, or even think. But he was as dead as a doorknob.

But the faint sound of chuffing wheels approaching slowly brought him out of his hypnosis, and the sounds soon came to a halt with a whoosh.

"Hello, Sir," came a gentle and familiar voice. That cheeky voice that Sir Topham Hatt had grown to know snapped him out of it, as he turned to see none other than his number one engine standing right there. And it truly was Thomas; there wasn't a single drop of blood light blue paint, his eyes were normal and content, his smile was flat and true, and even his voice rang with honesty.

"What are you doing here?" was all Sir Topham could say.

"I know I'm probably the last engine you want to see right now, but trust me, it's important for both our own sakes," Thomas calmly explained.

Sir Topham Hatt narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, "And why should I trust you? In all my years, no one has ever caused more confusion and delay than you have."

"This isn't about being on time or even being really useful anymore, you idiot," the blue engine growled in annoyance, "This is a matter of life and death."

"One of which you've had a helpful hand or two in."

"Listen!" Sir Topham Hatt was instantly yanked up to Thomas' face with a pull on his shirt, as he stared deeply into the said engine's now glowing red eyes. "All of this trial and error is for the sake of everyone's lives on the island."

Sir Topham Hatt didn't have anything to say to that, but he glared at Thomas as he was still being held. Eventually, Thomas realized he hadn't let go, too, and carefully put his former boss back down in front of him.

"Please, Sir. Just listen to me."

"Fine. Pray tell, what is your true motive behind all of this?" Sir Topham Hatt asked impatiently.

* * *

Everyone waited around for who knows how long, as tension grew when Sir Topham Hatt never returned from the Steam Works. Eventually, some started to assume the worse—that Thomas had already gotten him.

Daisy the diesel railcar was one of the very few who hoped everything was still alright, but she couldn't help but be paranoid, too. And when night fell, she wanted to calm her nerves by heading off into the night, not too far, but far enough where the noise and dread couldn't reach her.

But when she left Knapford Station to go to her usual quiet spot, Daisy heard a most disturbing engine whir in the distance, as well as grunts of pain. But Daisy swore she knew those grunts from somewhere…

"Hello?" Daisy meekly shouted, half expecting an answer.

"Daisy? …Is that…you?" a gruff voice came, as the sputtering engine came closer.

The female railcar gasped and rushed to her dear friend's aid, "Diesel! Thank heavens you're alright!"

"Wait…you worried about me?" Diesel asked, a blush creeping onto his face.

Daisy blushed, too, "O-Of course. You're my friend, Diesel. I've been worried ever since the fire—I wanted to see you, I really did, but they wouldn't let me go."

"I've wanted to see you, too. I was afraid something might've happened to you. And if it had…" Diesel couldn't finished his sentence, as he felt rather embarrassed and looked away in shame.

"Well, we're together again now, and that's all that matters," Daisy softly reassured, inching closer to her friend and deepening both of their blushes.

"Ahem! Right, well…we need to make sure it stays this way," Diesel firmly began and grunted while oiling passed Daisy and into the station. Curious, Daisy followed him and wondered what he was going to do next, but his determined expression showed that he was very serious.

As soon as he entered the station, people and engines alike quickly noticed the proclaimed fallen victim of the Diesel Works fire.

"You should know that you're all in terrible danger!" Diesel boomed, "Thomas is the one behind all of this terror and loss, but it's time to put a stop to it!"

Murmurs of agreement and scowls of revenge spread throughout the crowd.

Diesel went on, "If we wait around like the trapped rats we are now, he'll kill us off one by one! It's time to make a stand, and take back our island!"

"Yeah, Thomas needs to go!"

"He will be sorry!"

"We must find him immediately!"

Everyone was shouting over each other, the subject of fighting back greatly outnumbering any other topic.

"Wait a minute! Diesel, you can't just rush into this. Someone could get hurt," Daisy protested.

"That's what I'm planning on," Diesel growled back.

Just then, a red narrow gauge engine slowly rolled into the station next to the diesels, quirking his brow in curiosity.

"Victor? Why aren't you at the Steam Works?" Diesel questioned.

"I'm just…taking a little break," Victor lied as his eyes slid to the left.

"How is everyone, anyway?" Daisy asked out of concern.

"Their physical wounds will heal just fine, but I don't think I can say the same for their mental state. And poor Percy and Mavis, they're so shaken, they can barely speak."

"Hold on," Diesel cut him off, "Percy is at the Steam Works?"

"Si."

Diesel's eyes widened in realization, "Then so is Thomas."

The ebony diesel rolled forward and sounded his horn to get everyone's attention, "Thomas is at the Steam Works! If we move now, we can catch him!"

Without hesitation, the majority of the crowd followed Diesel out of the station and towards the Steam Works, where they planned to take down their greatest enemy once and for all.

Victor and Daisy stayed behind with a few others, as they were too frightened to go along with this.

"Oh, no…I-I can't let him get hurt again," Daisy whimpered to herself and chased after them.

Victor, on the other hand, felt something cold run down his boiler. He felt that somehow, one way or another, this would all end in a terrible disaster and that it was his fault.

* * *

When Thomas finished telling Sir Topham Hatt his story, the silence was even heavier than before. Sir Topham Hatt was utterly shocked, and stumbled a bit from nearly fainting.

"All this time, I thought you were just losing your mind…but…when in reality, you were…" he began shakily, but couldn't find the right words.

"Dead," Thomas finished his sentence for him.

"And…w-what of Timothy? Where-?"

"I sent him off to Misty Island to check for any intruders. He has no idea I'm here, but he won't be gone for much longer."

"Thomas, I…" the large man began while approaching and placing a gentle hand on Thomas' buffers, "I'm so sorry."

"I forgive you. And I'm sorry, too."

"What are you going to do now?"

"There's only one thing left to do, so that everyone will be safe from me and Timothy—we need to leave Sodor for good."

Sir Topham Hatt's eyes widened, "Are you sure you want to go through with that?"

"Not entirely," Thomas replied doubtfully, "But what else can I do? If leaving is the only way to save everyone, then so be it."

"What?" a small voice came, and the two finally noticed Percy sitting just a little ways outside of the building; his eyes were wide with shock and red with tears, "Y-You're leaving?"

"Percy…" Thomas tried to speak, but found himself holding his tongue when he saw his best friend's shattered expression.

"You're undead," the green engine whispered in realization.

Just then, Diesel's horn, followed by numerous other horns and whistles of other engines, pierced the air and grew ever closer.

"What are they doing?" Sir Topham Hatt pondered aloud.

"They're after me!" Thomas quickly replied when he saw the angry mob, and wasted no time in puffing away. But Diesel and the mob he led were soon hot on his tail.

"Thomas!" Percy and Sir Topham called after him, but he was already long gone.

"We need to stop them!" Sir Topham demanded and climbed into Percy's cab, and Percy sped off in the same direction to try and catch up.

* * *

 **I recently watched the episode Springtime for Diesel, and it is the finniest/cutest episode I've ever seenXD And because of that episode, I've decided to throw in a little romance, which will get way more interesting later on. You're welcome.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	12. Chapter 12 - I Forgive You

Chapter 12 - I Forgive You

Thomas raced until his boiler and axels ached, but it still seemed useless; the angry mob was not far behind, and quickly catching up. He didn't get far before he turned onto the mainline, and a huge fallen tree on the line caught his attention.

Using his magic, Thomas lifted the tree up and threw it behind him, instantly blocking the left track. The engines on the center and right tracks had a clear path, though, and continued on without looking back.

He then came up to a water tower on the right, tipping it over and cutting off all engines on the right. The center track was all that was left, and only Diesel, Edward, Emily, Daisy and Victor were left. But soon, Percy and Sir Topham Hatt joined them, afraid they were never going to get ahead in time.

But unlike the other up ahead, Percy noticed a junction that veered to the right and quickly took it. After gaining more speed, he caught up to the others and raced passed them.

"Thomas, stop!" Percy begged.

"I can't! I'm a danger to all of you!" Thomas shouted back, trying to get away.

" _You're_ the one in danger, Thomas! Please, stop and you'll be alright!" Sir Topham Hatt tried, but the blue engine didn't slow.

"What are we going to do?!" Percy asked hysterically.

"There's an unfinished bridge up ahead! Whether or not he stops in time, we'll catch him there!"

"A bridge?! But he could be killed!"

"It's the only thing that will stop him!"

Percy kept quiet after that, speeding up again.

Meanwhile, Thomas had no idea he was fast approaching the unfinished bridge, but when it came into view, he fired up his powers and burst into speed again. He was determined to get across the gap, and he had no doubt in his mind.

The other engines behind him screeched to a halt, sparks flying from their breaks as Thomas neared the edge of the huge gap. Everyone else behind him stopped just in time, and Thomas' eyes lit up like fire as he flew on—but it all went wrong.

In a mere second, all of Thomas' magic was sapped from his entire being, rendering him completely powerless and vulnerable. He was now in the hands of gravity, as it quickly yanked him down.

Percy screamed as his friend plummeted countless yards below, and the impact was followed by a blood-curdling crash. Diesel and Percy were closest to the edge, so they slowly crept forward to look down, their faces instantly plastered with horror; even Sir Topham Hatt, who jumped out of Percy's cab to get a closer look, began to tear up.

* * *

Thomas' condition was terrible.

His boiler was torn in half, his cab completely ripped off, smokestack bent horrifically, buffers missing, and his once perfect coat of blue paint was now dripping with rustic blood.

Victor placed him the highest Intensive Care Unit in the Steam Works, but he secretly doubted that Thomas would make it through the night. And after Thomas was taken in, it took a lot of persuading from Sir Topham Hatt to get the engines and people to believe that he was no longer a threat. It seemed to work, but they were still quite wary.

The rest of the patients at the Steam Works were either confused about what to think, or too distressed over Thomas' poor health to communicate; Percy was the most distant, as the ending of Thomas' story that he heard haunted him; Mavis was on the fence, as her good conscious made her feel guilty, but her short time kept in captivity balanced it out; Gordon, James and Henry stayed out of it for the most part, but were rather disappointed that they didn't do anything to help; and finally, Sir Topham Hatt, who was the most shattered of all. He would need another number one engine to take over Thomas' branch line if he didn't make it, but replacing him would never be easy.

And because they cared the most, Percy and Sir Topham Hatt were the only ones who visited Thomas on a daily basis, gently talking to him, even though he never talked back. Yes, for days, Thomas never spoke or moved, but Victor said he was somehow still alive.

"How did it come to this, Sir?" Percy asked shakily, his eyes never leaving Thomas' motionless form.

"It was a fatal accident that Thomas insisted on keeping hidden," Sir Topham Hatt explained sorrowfully, "It killed his driver and fireman, but he tampered with unnatural forces and was given another chance. He even said it himself, it was his cowardice that was his downfall."

A tear rolled down Percy's face, "Why couldn't he just…just leave things the way they were—the way they were supposed to be?"

Sir Topham was surprised, "You blame him for this?"

"He's my best friend, and always will be—but what he's done can never be taken back. And I'm fairly certain that the Thomas that survived was not our Thomas."

"Percy, you didn't hear his whole story when he told it to me, did you?"

"No…"

"Then you couldn't possibly have known what he went through when he…died…a-and even though he explained it to me, I still can't imagine it either."

"That doesn't matter now. Whether or not he makes it, all of the damage is irreversible. I thought I knew him well, I really did, but even the tightest friendships can be broken."

"So, that's it? You're not going to forgive him for something that wasn't his fault?"

"He could've done better!" Percy snapped, steam of aggravation arising from his smokestack as he glared at Sir Topham Hatt, "Even with the darkness keeping him alive, he could've at least fought it! But no!"

Percy's voice began to break, as more and more tears spilled and his lip quivered.

"Percy-," Sir Topham tried, only for the said green engine to cut him off.

"He just…fell too far, and that's why I give up."

With that, Percy slowly puffed out of ward with a few sobs, leaving Sir Topham alone with his withered number one engine. But when the dreadful silence began to push the large man, something very unexpected arose…it was a pained groan, but it was Thomas, nonetheless.

Sir Topham quickly turned, approaching with high hopes that Thomas would wake up; he reached out and gently touched where his buffers once were, trying to sooth the aching engine.

"I…won't…" the blue engine muttered, his voice hoarse as the back of his throat burned from dried blood.

"Save your energy, Thomas. I'm certain Victor will be able to fix you, now," Sir Topham softly urged.

"No…he can't…my life…it's…going…"

"What do you mean?"

"Timothy's presence…I can't…feel it anymore…I'll die soon…"

"No, you can't! I promise, I won't let anything happen to you, just-!"

"Sir…" Thomas meekly interrupted him, opening at least one bloodshot eye, "Without Timothy…I can finally…go free…"

"But what about the others? And Percy, he'll be heartbroken."

"You're lying…I…heard…everything…he hates me now…but I can die happy…knowing…that he's…that everyone is…alive…"

Sir Topham Hatt couldn't hold back his tears anymore, as they spilled from his eyes and he sniffled, "I'll never replace you. Ever."

Thomas closed his eye but smiled a little, "Whether or…not…you do…I…forgive…you…"

A cold breeze blew through the room, as Thomas let out one last breath before finally passing away. The dim lamp overhead flickered, as did a few others outside of the ward.

"I forgive you, too," Sir Topham Hatt whimpered, finally letting all of his tears go in an uncontrollable sob.

Thomas the Tank Engine was gone.

* * *

Nearly a year has passed since the horrific events of Thomas' temporary reign, and the residents of Sodor have fixed most of the damage and coped rather well.

There was the rebuilding of Ulfstead Castle, along with the addition of its prized engine, Stephen; a couple new engines from the mainland named Connor and Caitlin, who proved to be even more grand and fast than Gordon; and even some now cranes were added to the docks—well, one fancy new crane was added, while Big Mickey only revealed that he actually speaks.

But even with every clouds lighter side, there were still some dark sides.

Soon after Thomas' death, Percy left Sodor and left for the mainland; the Diesel Works had been cleaned up quite nicely, but after Den and Dart left due too being too scared to continue their work there, no one has offered to take the job of running the place yet; and the most mysterious of all was the disappearance of the Logging Locos, to which they didn't leave a single trace.

But Sir Topham Hatt managed to keep all of his engines, old and new, calm and working to this day.

"Hello? What's taking so long?" Henry called up to Cranky and Carly, who were in charge of loading the fish for the Flying Kipper, but they suddenly stopped out of nowhere.

This wasn't the first time this has happened, and Henry was getting more and more annoyed.

"HELLOOO!" Henry scolded at the top of his lungs, making both cranes yelp in surprise and finally notice Henry, "Not to be rude—but the Flying Kipper is going to be late!"

"Give 'em a break, Henry," Diesel chuckled as he oiled up to the green engine, lowering his voice and whispering, "They're twitterpated."

"Sadly, I'll never understand," Henry sighed in defeat, "Even _you_ found someone, Diesel. Speaking of which, how are things with you and Daisy?"

"Great, considering how we actually hooked up in the first place. She just wouldn't stop worrying about me," Diesel explained dreamily, "Oh, I love that woman."

"Don't get too soft, or else you'll turn into Toby and Henrietta," Henry jokingly pointed out before puffing forward, "Sorry, but I'm already late! See you later, Diesel!"

Unfortunately, not everyone had a special someone or close friend to recuperate; Victor refused to look for another crane since Kevin's death, which got him involved in a lot of heated arguments with Sir Topham Hatt. Still, he changed his mind and decided to stay, to hold down the Steam Works because he knew there wouldn't be any one more qualified for the job than him.

Lately, Victor had someone to keep him company, though, as Mavis had been feeling quite ill as of late. It was awkward for both doctor and patient from time to time since Victor was quieter than ever, but he did what he could to take care of her.

But one night, Victor found out what was actually wrong with Mavis, and puffed outside to get some air. The faded scar over his clouded right eye bent when he furrowed his eye brows, thinking about the past as he glanced up at the moon. And somehow, somewhere—he felt like someone was listening.

"Oh…I did this, and you know it," Victor sighed in shame, "And I'm sorry."

But, like he expected, there was no response.

To Be Continued...


End file.
